Many of us may think that flour is processed somewhere by fairies working overtime in a factory. In fact, you can make your own in no time. Why use leftovers that have been deprived of vitamins for weeks on the shelf, when you can get some good stuff right now? All you need is some type of grain that can be used to make flour, and some grinding equipment (like a grinder or coffee grinder).
Ingredients
Any type of grain or legume that can be used (wheat, barley, oatmeal, rye, quinoa, corn, rice, peas, garbanzo, etc.)
Step
Part 1 of 3: Filling Your Kitchen
Step 1. Get your grains, nuts…anything to grind into flour
In fact almost anything can be turned into flour --Think quinoa, popcorn (yes, that's right), and legumes to more traditional ones like rice, oats, oatmeal, and barley. Whole wheat berries (wheat seeds), whole rye berries, fresh whole oats and the like can generally be found in health food stores, sold in bulk. The seeds are white, light brown, purple or yellowish. And also cheaper in quantity compared to semi-finished goods!
Know what kind of flour you want to make. Want whole wheat flour? Buy whole grain berries (the oats don't look like berries -- just the name). Want rye flour? Buy rye berries. Making flour is not a very difficult thing to do
Step 2. If you are going to make whole wheat flour, find out what is best for your cooking needs
Each type has its own use. Spell, Emmer and Einkorn wheat which is back on the rise are also healthful types of wheat. For breads that contain yeast, hard red wheat (winter or spring) is best.
For breads that don't require yeast (such as muffins, pancakes, and waffles), soft white wheat is the standard choice. Spell Wheat, Kamut, and Triricale can also be used
Step 3. Choose a grinding tool
If you want to spend hours turning the grinder as a form of daily exercise for your arms, go ahead. Or you can just put the grains/wheat/beans straight into the blender/food processor/coffee grinder and let the tools do the work. If you use an electric device, the higher the power, the finer the flour will be.
- The manual grinder actually has one advantage: it doesn't generate any heat that could damage the grain's nutrition. Besides, manual grinders just take longer.
- The main drawback of an electric grinder is that it's just a regular grinder and it's a bit expensive (the cheapest one will cost you around 100 dollars).
- The only downside to using a blender/food processor/coffee grinder is that you probably won't get the best quality flour (we mean "best" here is fine/small grain, not great quality). Everything depends on the specifications of the product used.
Part 2 of 3: Grinding Grains
Step 1. Put the seeds/nuts into the grinder/blender
Determine the amount of flour you will use now – fresh flour goes bad fast.
1 cup of whole grain can provide about 1 cups of flour. For beans etc., will yield 1.5x the same of the original amount
Step 2. Grind
If you're using a grinder, turn the crank until all the grain is finished grinding. If using a blender, select the highest setting for about 30 seconds to process the grains. Then turn it off, open the lid, and stir with a rubber spatula. After that, put the lid back on the blender and repeat the process a few times.
Your equipment determines how fast the grain will be ground. If you use one of the high-powered brand name blenders (such as Blendtec or Vitamix), the flour will be ready before you can say, "Is the flour ready?" If you grind it manually, well, hopefully you've taken your afternoon off
Step 3. Continue to crank the grinder or grind the grains until the flour reaches your desired texture
You can check this by sifting the resulting flour mixture into a bowl and watching closely. Touch to make sure the flour has the right consistency (wash your hands thoroughly beforehand!), and grind again if the consistency isn't quite right.
A coffee grinder will not produce the same consistency as ready-made flour. What you can do is sift the flour to separate out the coarser grains and be happy with the rest. The flour will still taste delicious
Part 3 of 3: Using and Storing Your Flour
Step 1. When you are satisfied with your flour, pour it into a plastic bag or resealable container
You may have to use more than one plastic if you make a lot of flour, but keeping it fresh will certainly pay off in the long run. And here it is: ready-made flour for the dough of your dreams!
Put your flour in a cool, dark place. This will prevent insects and sunlight from damaging the flour. If you prefer, add bay leaf with flour to prevent pests from damaging the flour
Step 2. If you make a lot of flour, put it in the refrigerator or freezer
Whole wheat flour quickly turns rancid in just a matter of months if kept in the cabinet. If the flour changes color or smells (which won't happen if you keep it cold), don't hesitate to throw it away.
To freeze flour, just put it in a sealable container and put it in the freezer. Flour will last for "years". But don't forget to use it once in a while
Step 3. First experiment with your flour
You may notice that homemade flour has a much different taste than you expected and the results will be quite different when cooked (this is because the flour is so fresh). So if you want to succeed, do not immediately use the flour. Experiment first.
Fresh flour gives yeast more nourishment, which results in more fermenting activity. This can change the taste of cake recipes that you use frequently. The taste changes for the better for sure
The Equipment You Need
- Several types of grinding tools (flour grinder/food processor/blender/coffee grinder)
- Rubber tweezers (optional)
- Sieve (optional)
- Bowl
- Container for freezing
Tips
- Adding 1 tsp of lemon juice for every 2 cups of grains will make the flour rise faster.
- If it doesn't reach the consistency you want from your grinder, try using a blender to see if it makes a difference. While hand grinders are designed to grind grains into flour, sometimes blenders do this more effectively.
- Note that different types of grains contain different nutrients. Do your research first before choosing which one you want to make flour.
Attention
- Wheat flour is highly flammable. Never put flour near an open flame.
- Like other crops, grains can be susceptible to contamination and natural toxins, so wash them before consuming them.
