If you bake your own bread, could you please answer a few questions for me?

I have a grain mill and a bread machine. I haven't used them in a number of years, because 1 loaf of bread was never enough for my family for dinner. Now my family is even larger, but I want to look into baking my own bread again. My family really likes soft "white" type bread.

1) Where would I buy the wheat to grind myself? Is it better to buy locally, or can I buy grain online? If bought online, is shipping expensive since the grain would be heavy?

2) What type of wheat would I buy? Is there a generic type that would yield the soft light bread my family likes, and also be good for general purpose if I began to do other things later like rolls or biscuits and such?

3)Can fresh bread be frozen and still maintain its health benefits or do the nutrients begin to break down? Would I really want to freeze my fresh bread anyway?

4)Since my bread machine can only make 1 loaf at a time and I know that's not enough, how can I use my bread machine to its fullest, but still make enough bread for my family. If I start to do this, am I going to be making multiple loaves on a daily basis? Not sure I'm ready to go there!

5) What other practical tips, or advise can you give me so that I can be successful without becoming overwhelmed at first!

Thank you so much for your kind replies.

Hi Shellie,

I bake my own bread, but do not own a mill. I buy 5 lbs of hard red winter wheat for bread (yeast) baking at a local health food store; they grind it for me on the premises at the time of purchase. They have advised me that hard red winter wheat is best for baking with yeast because it has a greater protein (gluten) content and therefore supports the rise better. (I also add approximately 1 T. gluten per cup of flour in the recipe to provide additional help with the rise.)

A soft wheat is better for non-yeast baking (cookies, cakes, muffins, biscuits, etc.)

Most cookbooks I have read, as well as the knowledgeable personnel at the health food store where I shop, have advised to store the freshly ground flour in the freezer to prevent the oils from going rancid. Since freezing the flour preserves nutrients and prevents breakdown, it makes sense to me that freezing would do the same for baked bread, i.e., preserve the health benefits. (But I can't quote you an authority in writing. )

Also, since our home-baked bread has no preservatives, I have noticed that my bread molds faster in warm weather. (My children are not big bread eaters; one loaf lasts about one week, but if I don't refrigerate/freeze it, it molds first.) For me, the main issue with refrigeration/freezing is taste quality. I've noticed if it's not well-wrapped, all the moisture is sucked right out, and then the bread tastes stale. (But it's still good for French toast. )

Maybe you might want to freeze your bread if you set aside one day of the week to make several loaves in succession.

I've been baking all our bread since February, and I'm interested in hearing from others about grain mill brands, as well as the logistics of purchasing grain, as I'm getting ready to take the next step of grinding my own grain.

Have fun.

Loretta

[quote]1) Where would I buy the wheat to grind myself?
We buy on-line simply for the ease of it. If I could buy it fresh at a health food store I probably would.

2) What type of wheat would I buy?
We use hard white or red for breads and soft white for anything that does not require yeast.

3)Can fresh bread be frozen and still maintain its health benefits or do the nutrients begin to break down?
I have no idea about breaking down health benefits but the odd time I freeze my bread I always 1/2 cook it first. Competely cooked dries out too much while 1/2 cooked allows you to maintain the shape and in 10 min present a loaf of fresh hot bread.

4)Since my bread machine can only make 1 loaf at a time.

I never bake in the machine! I only use it on the dough cycle which provides enough dough for 2 loaves. I pan and proof it after 1st rising in the machine. Pop in the oven .


HTH

I bake my own bread so will do my best to answer your questions.

I have a bread machine that mixes 5 loaves at a time and then I bake them in the oven. I also grind my own wheat which I get from Wheat Montana. I know a lot of people that bake their own bread so a friend places an order for 10,000 lbs once a year. You could check their website to see if they sell to individuals or call them to see if they know of anyone near you does bulk purchasing.

There are at least 3 types of grain to buy. Soft white wheat is used for anything that doesn't require yeast. It's like pastry flour. Hard white wheat is used for bread and is probably what your family would like as it is soft. Hard red wheat is for making bread also. It is firmer. I use half hard white and half hard red. I used to use all hard white but my husband thought it was too soft. I know people who use all hard red too, so it's just whatever you prefer.

I make 5 loaves at a time and we eat about a loaf a day so I freeze them. They aren't in the freezer that long and I don't see that it affects the bread in any way.

I don't really have any advice for your bread machine except to do it some other way if you're able. It seems like that would be extremely time consuming.

I have a great recipe if you're able to mix the dough and NOT bake it in your bread machine. It only has to rise once and start to finish it is done in less than 1.5 hours.

HTH,
Toni

Hi! We also bake all of our bread, rolls, hot dog and hamburger buns, pizza crusts, etc.

I'd love to have a grain mill and grind it fresh but haven't been able to find the $ to buy the mill yet (nor have I found a local grain supplier). I do use King Arthur whole wheat flour (traditional hard red wheat). I make and bake five loaves at a time and freeze them. The bread, rolls, pizza crusts, etc. are every bit as good when I take them out of the freezer as they are when they go in.

I'd suggest you find and use a recipe that uses SAF instant yeast. It allows you to do what Toni says ... mix, knead, shape, rise, and bake in an hour and a half to two hours. The vital gluten helps whole wheat bread rise better and extends the shelf life of the baked goods.

Enjoy!
Monica

Toni--Would you post your recipe, or send it to me too? amyddowns@sbcglobal.net

Thanks.

I, too, bake bread. I have been baking all of our bread for years, except for those spells when I have been too busy to do so. I also make our own English muffins and pizza crust, etc. I have a Country Living Grain mill which can be hand-cranked or hooked up to a motor. I love it. It is mounted on the edge of my counter top.

Toni did a great job of explaining the different types of wheat you can use. I use all three as well, pretty much just as she stated, although I do use the hard red alone quite a bit of the time. I like to mix in some other grains that I let sit in hot water for a bit to swell up before adding to the dough (rolled oats, flax seed, millet, raw sunflower seeds, whatever...or some Seven Grain Cereal that I buy from the health food store). I use only honey or molasses as a sweetner and I always use milk (from our own Jersey), as milk will make a smoother loaf whereas water can tend to make a dryer loaf. I make five or six loaves at a time and freeze them after baking. They are always just as good out of the freezer.

By the way, I do use a Bosch mixer for mixing the dough now. It is easier and it mixes the dough more thoroughly than I could do by hand.

I purchase my wheat from a health food store in 50 lb. bags and then either store it as is in a chest freezer, or store it in five gallon buckets with lids. Have never had a problem with any of it!

Good luck.
Tammy

P.S. Did you know that if you take a handful of hard red wheat and chew on it for a while, it will turn into gum? You have to be prepared to swallow the hulls that you chew up (it's kind of funny at first). Kids love to do this, but don't give it to really little ones because it can be quite a mouthful until you get those hulls chewed down! You can chew on the gum for a long time, too.

We make our own bread, too. We need to make a wheat-free/gluten-free bread. By making our own, we save $ and the taste is much better than what is at the store. We make sorghum bread, millet bread, garbanzo bread and some others. It is challenging, but it works.

Before we needed to switch to wf/gf, I did make whole wheat bread. I was able to make 6 loaves at a time (or 4 10" loaves). I purchased my mill from Pleasant Hill Grain Company out of Nebraska. They also sell NorPro Bread pans which are fabulous.

WOW! You guys are great!! Toni, I'd love if you could post that recipe. I really think I want to try to get started baking for my family. I'd love to try to find a local wheat supplier, but if I can't I'll definitely look into buying online. I'm just concerned with what the cost of shipping would be if I were to buy a 25 or 50lb amount. Maybe it wouldn't really be as much as I'm fearing.

Here's the recipe for those who asked:

5 C. hot water
2/3 C. oil
1/2 C. honey
1 T. salt
1/2 t. vitamin C powder
2 T. lecithin granules (or liquid)
1/4 C. gluten flour
12 C. whole wheat flour (= 8C. whole wheat grain) I never measure the flour--just grind up 8 cups of grain)
2 T. yeast

Mix together hot water, oil, honey, salt, vit c,
lecithin and gluten flour in the bread mixer, add half of the flour. Mix well. Sprinkle yeast on flour mixture. Then add the rest of the flour. Mix on low speed just until blended and then on high speed for 8 minutes.

Remove dough from bowl and divide into 5 equal lumps(put oil or water on the counter first so the dough doesn't stick). Form into loaves and place in greased bread pans. Let rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 30-33 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on racks at least 15 minutes before cutting.

I have a Bosch mixer also but you wouldn't have to have one to use this recipe. You could halve the recipe and use it to make 2 bigger loaves. Also you can knead the dough by hand. I have friends who do this and prefer it that way. This recipe works well with freshly ground wheat. I don't think you would have the same success with store bought whole wheat flour. If you use that you would probably have to mix in all purpose flour too.

Let me know if you have any other questions. travis48@wavecable.com
You'll enjoy having homebaked bread again--it's the only kind of bread I like to eat anymore!

Toni

For those of you who bake bread with your own grains, you already know this. However, those of you just starting out may not. When you buy whole wheat flour off of the grocery store shelf (not refrigerated), most of the nutrients you are looking for are gone. They are milled/sifted out because the oils in the wheat germ would turn the flour rancid sitting in a warm place. So, if you are unable to grind your own wheat, you should see if you can't find freshly ground, refrigerated flour at a health food store. Nutrition counts!

Blessings,
Tammy

We have been grinding wheat and making our own bread for about 3 months. In addition to us eating healthy, our goal was to start a small family business so our children could earn some money and learn all of the wonderful lessons that go along with working in a business.

We have tried several different recipes and found one that the children love. We have a Nutrimill grain mill and have the DLX mixer. If you google Pleasant Hill Grain and Bread for Life, those two websites were very helpful to us.

Even when you freeze your flour, it loses nutrients although slower than if it's not in the freezer. Our bread freezes very well but I double bag it. We use Prairie Gold Montana Wheat for our yeast breads. It is a high protein white hard wheat. It has a mild flavor which is more appealing to our children.

We also do a triple rise for our bread. Our children like the taste of it better, and according to Beth Holland at Bread for Life it helps your body absorb more nutrients. Beth is a homeschool mom and has been very helpful to us. Her cookbooks and videos have given us terrific information.

We use the same recipe for bread, rolls, cinnamon swirl and iced cinnamon rolls. It is a light, moist bread that slices well for sandwiches.

It's exciting to see other families journey down the same road we have just begun! We are learning a lot and have a lot more to learn.

Susan

A great resource is the Country Baker website. Every time I have talked to the owner she has been tremendously helpful. http://www.countrybaker.com

There is a lot of good information on the site and a wonderful recipe for 100% whole wheat bread that is so soft. The Wildflower cookbook they sell is fantastic if you have a large mixer.

Blessings,
Kim
Mom to 10 great kids,
ages 15,14,13,12,9,7,6,4,2,& baby due 09/08

Susan,
Could you please post your recipe that your kids enjoy so much?
Much appreciation,

I have been baking my bread for over a year now. I grind my own wheat and like Prairie Gold Wheat for my bread. I buy it at Wheat Montana and have it shipped to NY where I live.
I also use the Bosch, I have tried making bread without the Bosch in my kitchen aide and burnt out my motor. The bosch is a time saver and I just taught two of my friends how to use the bosch yesterday and we made 7 1.4 oz loaves of bread in under 2 hours from start to finish!!! It is wonderful. i freeze my loaves and take them out as needed. I am a Bosch dealer too!
Becky