Carbs to the Max

I almost feel like I need to clarify this next statement with a current photo of myself.  But, here goes…

I grind my own wheat.

I know what you are thinking, and I promise that this does not mean that I wear ankle length jumpers or never cut my hair. And, I wear make up and jewelry- not that there’s anything wrong with that.  

The reason that I grind my own wheat is because the wheat kernel (as well as other whole grains) stores its nutrients within.  As soon as it is broken- as happens with the milling process- the nutrients begin to oxidize.  Over 50% of the nutrients oxidize withing 24 hours, and over 90% of the nutrients are lost within the first 72 hours after milling. 

This, as well as separating the wheat (very basically sifting), is the reason why you see “enriched flour” on the grocery store shelves.  Approximately 30 nutrients are removed from the wheat, and 4-5 are added back in to “enrich” the flour.  And, don’t even get me started on the synthetic “nutrients” that are added back into the flour to keep us from getting sick.

Wow!  I am all about the quotation marks, arent I? If I could type air quotes, I would.

Another reason that I grind my own wheat is because the milling process heats the grain to the point that it starts to break down, and the flour becomes rancid very quickly.  As a result most flour, as well as all processed products made with commercial flour on the grocery store shelves (baked goods, crackers, cereals, and flours, ect.) that you purchase in the store is already rancid and lacking in any nutrients.

I apologize for the science lesson.  I am trying to justify my neurosis here, people.

So, I grind my own wheat.  I make my own bread and baked goods.

With that, I have had several of you ask about my bread recipe.  I have been making our bread at home for a year and a half now, and the is the recipe that has evolved for sandwich bread.  This recipe is very loosely based on the techniques from Bread Beckers’ bread recipe, and the ingredients from Lindsay at Passionate Homemaking.

Bread- Troye’s Take (for this recipe I prefer to use a mixture of hard red wheat, hard white wheat, and kamut)

4 1/2 cups filtered water (hot)

1 1/2 tbsp salt

3/4 cup coconut oil

3/4 cup honey

1 egg

1/3 cup ground flax seed

11-12 cups fresh ground flour

2 1/2 tbsp dry yeast

Place water, salt, oil (melted if your home stays cool), honey, and egg in mixer.  Add half (approx. 6 cups) flour and flax seed, and turn mixer onto speed 2.  Once combined, add 5 more cups of flour and pour yeast on top.  Turn mixer back onto speed 2 and watch until combined.  If dough does not pull away from the sides of the bowl, slowly add more flour (about 1 tbsp at a time) until dough pulls away and creates a dough ball.  Allow mixer to knead for approximately 10 minutes total.

Remove dough to a greased bowl and allow to rise until doubled (about an hour). Punch down and divide into four equal parts.

For perfectly shaped loaves, roll dough into a rectangle and then roll up into a loaf.  Place in greased loaf pans and allow to rise again until doubled (about 30-45 min).

*Note: I turn my oven on low while I shape the loaves, and then turn it off and allow my loaves to rise in the warm oven.  Because my house stays pretty cool, I do this for the first rise as well.

Turn the oven ont 350 and bake for 30 min.  Remove from oven, and allow to rest in pan for 10 min. before removing to cooling rack.

This makes four loaves.  They freeze exceptionally well.  Although there is nothing like a fresh- from- the- oven loaf, the frozen loaves are very tasty and well worth not having to make bread every other day. 

The oxidation of the milled wheat stops when baked, so the nutritional value is preserved only by baking.   Fresh ground wheat is an excellent source of over 30 nutrients, including many B vitamins, but it is also the richest source of Vitamin E. 

As a side note for those with gluten intolerances… Many of the B vitamins help our bodies to process gluten.  We need the natural source of Vitamin B in order to break down the gluten in our baked goods as our bodies are intended to do.

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