At Golden Grain Flour Mills, we use the Traditional Stone Grinders to produce our flours. Stone Ground Milling is the original and oldest form of milling, it is based on large stones which spin and grind wheat or other particulars into flour. In this process, the wheat is milled from the outside in rather than the whole wheat grain being crushed as is the case when a roller mill is used. When using the Traditional Stone Grinders, the flour produced tends to be more flavoursome and wholesome, the flour also contains more of the whole grain in contrast to using a roller mill. Another form of milling is the roller milling; this type of milling produces very fine flour by crushing and sifting wheat into separate parts. Flour produced from a roller mill will be consistent, however wholemeal flour produced by this type of mill is essentially refined white flour mixed with bran. The bran which has been sieved off during the first stages of milling is added back to the final product, obtaining brown flour only when the extracted material is added back to the remaining flour.
If you store this flour in a cool, dark and air-tight container, it will keep up to 6 months Other Considerations: a drawback with whole-wheat flour, regardless of the milling process, is that its shelf life is shorter than highly processed white flour varieties due to the presence of the wheat germ which results in an unsaturated oil content that is higher than refined flour. The potential for rancidity is greater if whole-wheat flour is kept for long periods, particularly if it is not stored under suitable conditions. It is best to store whole-wheat flour in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer.
Gluten is formed from the proteins in grains and becomes elastic in dough. As the dough ferments the carbon dioxide gas is released and caught in the elastic gluten, which creates balloon-like bubbles. This causes the dough to rise.
The bran is the outside layer of the kernel and is approx 14% of the kernel weight. It contains the most fibre and protects the inner parts of the wheat kernel.
The endosperm makes up approx 83% of the kernel weight and is the source of white flour. The endosperm contains the greatest share of protein, carbohydrates and iron, as well as the major B-vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin and iron. It is also a source of soluble fibre.
In the mill, hard wheat produces granular, free-flowing and effortlessly sifted flour which is high in gluten. While soft wheat produces flour with finer flour with uneven particles, this type of flour tends to be low in gluten.
The wheat germ is the part of the wheat kernel that germinates and turns into a plant. The majority of the kernel’s fat is found in wheat germ. It is the most nutrient-rich part of the wheat.