Today was a bread day. Normally I make 5 loaves (recipe here) which will last my family a week, however it is so hot that whenever I heat my oven I’m trying to get the most bang for my buck. So I increased my bread production to 9 loaves. I also made whole wheat orange cranberry muffins.
For the orange muffins (recipe here) I substituted ground pumpkin seeds for flax seed. I also added dried cranberries. They turned out great.
I grind my wheat berries and make this stuff from scratch. It is not really saving money because bread is pretty inexpensive in the store. That is if you buy store brand or other mass produced brands. Of course if you get a loaf from Whole Foods bakery you’ll need to give them your first born. Since I was not getting gourmet bread at Whole Foods, my bread bill has not gone down. However, the nutrition content is gone way up. When you grind your own wheat you get all the goodness from the grain. Much of the ground whole wheat flour in the supermarket has the good parts removed. Here’s a little info about the wheat grain – see here for full article:
The three main parts are:
Bran
The outer coating or “shell” of the wheat kernel is made up of several layers. These layers protect the main part of the kernel. Bran is rich in B vitamins and minerals.
Endosperm
This is the main part of the wheat kernel and represents about 80% of the kernel weight. It is from this part that white flour is milled. The endosperm is rich in energy-yielding carbohydrate and important protein.
Germ or Embryo
This part grows into a new plant if sown. The germ lies at one end of the grain and represents only 2% of the kernel. It is a rich source of B vitamins, oil, vitamin E and natural plant fat. It needs to be removed during milling because the fat is liable to become rancid during flour storage. Wheat germ is still very valuable though and is used in many products.
Making bread from the grain can be messy. See what my kitchen looked like….
But then you have this… I loaf already eaten and one given away.
June 24, 2009 at 9:37 pm |
Oooh cool another bread baker! Where do you get your wheat at in bulk? Since moving here I have not been able to find a good place…
June 25, 2009 at 6:39 am |
I get it from two places, but I’m on the lookout for more. A lady (Gale) in Friendswood sells it out of her house: http://www.bethlehemharvest.com. Gale is a pastor’s wife and a lovely person. She also gives free bread making classes. It is such a drive for me to pick up her stuff. Gale just sent me an email with this month’s order info that I’ll forward to you.
I’ve also purchased from Whole Foods. If you buy it by the 25 pound bag, they give you 10% off. You can also order from the LDS website online and get #10 cans of hard red wheat at OK prices.
I have another friend who does bulk orders from Walton Feed about once a year. These are the best prices I’ve seen. Would you like me to give her your email so you’re on the distribution in case she gathers an order?
June 25, 2009 at 11:28 am |
I recently moved to Houston and found your blog through searching for places to find wheat berries, thanks so much for posting!!!
June 25, 2009 at 11:36 am |
Welcome to Houston. I saw the pics of our city on your blog and just loved them. Let me know if you have any Houston question. I’ve lived here since the early 90s.