Finally I am storing and grinding wheat. I have been following this blog spot: http://safelygatheredin.blogspot.com/
The focus for this month is "wheat". Getting to know, use and learning the different things we can do with wheat. When she first encouraged us to get wheat this month, I just haven't wanted to do it because I didn't have a wheat grinder. I checked on ebay to see what they had, and I found one for $69.00 which looked like good quality. I didn't want to get a cheaper one, even though they did have some for $19.00 too. I opted for the more expensive one, as my goal is using wheat will be part of a regular part of my life. I don't want to store any food that I don't use. I don't want anything that I will end up throwing away. Before I purchased wheat I needed a grinder. It arrived and was much smaller then I imagined, but great because I don't have a lot of extra storage space.
Today, I made it to the LDS church dry pack cannery to purchase my wheat for $27.00. When I looked at the order form on-line they listed white and red wheat. I didn't know what the difference was, so I did some research on it yesterday. What I found was the red wheat had more nutrients then white wheat. But the white wheat was milder tasting and made your bread look more like white bread. They discussed using 1/2 of each kind and I decided to purchase 50 pounds of each kind. However, when I arrived at the cannery they only had red wheat available because that is what the church grows on their farms. They have to purchase the white wheat and it is pretty expensive to purchase and didn't have any on hand. So, I opted to just get 100 pounds of red wheat.
I have been reading how other bloggers use a bread machine to make the dough and then put it in their regular bread pan and bake in the oven so that it looks like a regular loaf of bread instead of the square weird looking bread from a bread machine. I decided it would be easier for me if I purchased a bread machine which I did and I hope I like it. Other bloggers have been able to find a bread machine for a couple of dollars from a thrift store (I checked out a couple, but didn't see one for sell).
I am using the recipe from:
Her readers give it a high rating of 10 out of 10 and it had great comments. So I ground my wheat, and have put the ingredients in the bread maker. I hope it works out and this can become a regular fun way of making bread for my family (I'm doing it now and will post pictures and comments later of how it worked out).
Here are pictures of my new wheat grinder and the wheat. Oh yeah!! I am excited to become a back to nature real home made momma. (with a bread machine LOL) Oh, and it was easy to grind and worked great. It's a good little grinder that makes me "work" to make the wheat into flour instead of just plugging it in. OK, I know that's the only hard work I have since I have a bread machine to knead it. I need a little pampering now and then. Grinding the wheat was pretty fun. I think Brady will get a kick out of it and it can be his job too. Fun, Fun!
I really need to get information from you about food storage and such. Brandon has felt strongly about food storage and that we need to get this up and going. Where did you get your wheat grinder? Could you email me information that could help us????
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Found your blog by doing a Google search for "frugal living". Glad to see you have grain mill and are making your own bread. Wanted to share a recipe with you that comes from a friend of mine - the one that got me hooked on grinding my own grain. Here's the recipe - it makes two loaves. So if that's too much, just cut it in half. Also, the dough is suppose to be sticky when you mix it in the mixer. It won't look like regular bread dough and that's okay. Just plop in the pan and bake it. It doesn't need to do a rise as it will do that in the oven. I've used this recipe with hard red wheat (which I think you have) and with hard white. I've never tried it with soft white as it wouldn't have enough gluten from the wheat. Here's a link to the actual recipe: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/inspired/372440/ -- if you look under her "recipes" category, she also has other recipes using other types of grains.
ReplyDeleteGood luck.
CheleLew
Daily Grind Whole Wheat Bread
5 to 5 ½ cups hard wheat berries
1/4 cup wildflower honey (amount depends on desired sweetness)
1/3 cup olive oil
3 ½ cup very warm (125 degrees) water
2 Tablespoons yeast
1/4 cup gluten flour
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1. Grind the wheat berries to a fine flour; you will have 7 to 8 cups. Put 3 cups of flour in the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, on low speed, mix in the oil, honey and warm water. Add the yeast and mix for 1 minute or until blended. Let the mixture rest for 8 minutes.
2. Gradually beat in gluten and 4 to 5 cups of flour (until the batter is pulling away from the sides of the bowl clean) then add salt and mix for 30 more seconds. Switch to the dough hook and knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes, until shiny and somewhat elastic; the dough will still be quite wet.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 9x5 loaf pans with baking spray and set aside. Turn the dough out onto an oiled surface and divide into 2 equal portions. Rub hands with oil and put both portions into pan and shape into loaf.
4. Place immediately into oven and bake for 30 to 50 minutes or until the loaves are a rich brown on top and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from oven and pan and cool on wire racks.