When you look at the ingredients listed in breads at your local grocery store, you’ll notice plenty of fillers or dyes. In addition, the ‘whole wheat’ found on the shelves of your local grocery store typically are usually milled many weeks, and even months before arriving at the store. Therefore, these wheat flours are usually altered to extend the shelf life. The perishable parts of the grain, the bran, and the wheat germ are removed, leaving the most nutritious parts of the bread out. Preservatives or even bleach may also be added to some whole wheat or all-purpose flours which can negate the nutritional benefits of whole grains. For example, many commercial flour products contain potassium bromate, a chemical that has been linked to cancer in animal studies.

Milling fresh flour is equivalent to grinding fresh coffee, or fresh spices. It provides a much stronger, fresher, flavor and aroma. I use a 50/50 blend of hard white berries, and hard red berries which results in a flavorful, really digestible, and highly nutritious loaf of bread. Freshly milled flour, on the other hand, loses most of its nutrients if it is not used within 72 hours of milling, so I try as best possibly to bake at least a day before or two days maximum. Freshly milled whole wheat does not have a long shelf life, and usually around 7-10 days it begins to become rancid. The bran is packed with fiber and the wheat germ is the vitamin and mineral rich embryo of the kernel. Wheat germ is full of vitamin B6, folate, thiamin, zinc, magnesium, manganese, and vitamin E.

Repeated studies have documented the benefits of whole grains, including:

• Type 2 diabetes risk reduced by 21-30%

• Stroke risk reduced by 30-36%

• Heart disease reduced by 25%

• Healthier colon reducing the risk of colorectal cancer

• Better weight maintenance

• Prevents gallstones

• Reduces the risk of asthma

• Reduction of inflammatory disease risk

• Less gum disease and tooth loss

• Eases digestive disorders

• Slows the build up of plaque in arteries

• Lowers triglycerides

• Lowers blood pressure

• Improves insulin control

The two most important benefits of freshly milled whole grain flour are that the nutritional value is maintained at its maximum capacity and fresher flour equals fresher flavor.