Use Your Stand Mixer To Up Your Baking Game By Milling Your Own Flour
Not all flour is created equally, according to The Seattle Times. Different types of flour contain varying levels of protein. Cake flour, for example, has the lowest amount of protein. Bread flour has a lot of protein. All-purpose flour, the most common variety, falls somewhere in the middle, per The Pioneer Woman.
All-star chefs looking to go the extra mile to elevate their baked goods sometimes opt to mill their own flour. There are numerous benefits to using freshly-milled grains, Real Food RN reports. Mass-produced flour loses a lot of its nutritional value during processing. When you make what you need at home, you can retain the naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.
When you hand-mill your flour, you also have your pick of what kind of grain you want to use. This is particularly fortuitous for people who are sensitive to gluten because they can simply choose a variety that doesn't contain gluten. Also, you'll inevitably spend more money on flour that you purchase from the grocery store than you would if you purchased wheat berries to mill your own. Finally, this process will bring enhanced flavor and fluffier texture to your baking.
If the process seems intimidating, don't back down just yet. You can use a common kitchen tool to perform this seemingly-complicated endeavor, All Recipes reports.
Hand-milling has upfront costs and long term benefits
If you're looking for your next baking project, it may be time to track down a new attachment for your stand mixer. That's because this common kitchen appliance has the ability to act as a flour mill, and hand-milled flour is decidedly better than the store-bought stuff, according to Real Food RN. If this baking challenge is calling your name, you'll first want to purchase a grain mill for your stand mixer. The popular brand KitchenAid sells these for about $115, but consider it an investment for your future, given how much you'll save on pre-made flour.
Then, you'll need to track down some wheat berries, True Sourdough explains, noting that these can be sparsely available and costly depending on where you live. This is a definite drawback to the whole hand-milling process, along with the upfront cost of the milling attachment.
If you mill your own flour, you can produce however much you want with whatever grain you decide. If you're an occasional cake baker, you may only want to mill the grain you need for your recipe. But if you're busting out loaf after loaf of your favorite breads, go ahead and process flour in bulk.