Ever wondered how to process grain into flour?
Have you’ve ever looked at a bag of wheat berries and wondered how to turn them into flour or looked at flour and thought – where does this come from? I’m going to walk you through the process using hard white wheat berries—these are harvested in June in North Carolina. Hard white wheat is a little sweeter and milder than red wheat, which makes it perfect for bread, muffins, and all-around baking.
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In North Carolina, hard red winter wheat is the most common, used for bread, while soft red winter wheat is best for pastries and cookies. Hard white wheat has a milder flavor for bread and noodles, soft white wheat works well for cakes and crackers, and durum wheat is mainly grown for pasta. However, you can use any of the above for baking, just edit the ingredients differently to acquire your desired outcome.
Harvesting
Hard white wheat is ready to harvest when the kernels are firm and golden, usually in June for early spring-planted wheat in North Carolina. Make sure the grains are dry before taking them off the stalks, this makes a huge difference. Being able to just pluck the top off is key. Timing matters: if you harvest too early, the kernels won’t be fully developed. Too late, and you risk losing grains to birds, rodents, or shattering in the field when you pull. Less stalk is better and less you have to clean out later.
Cleaning the Wheat
Once harvested, the wheat berries need to be cleaned. I start by removing any straw or chaff. A screen, a simple hand sifter, or even winnowing outside on a breezy day works well. I prefer to use a paint stir on my drill, making quick work of it – Momma doesn’t have time to hand process. Cleaning makes a huge difference in how the wheat will mill and keeps it from going bad in storage. If you leave chaff in the berries, it will change the flavor.
Milling into Flour
You can mill wheat berries straight into flour, or you can temper them first. Tempering is just adding a little water and letting the berries rest—it softens the bran and makes milling easier. I usually run my wheat through a grain mill until it’s as fine as I want it. If I want lighter flour, I’ll sift it to separate some of the bran into a different jar and mill down again. I have two mills, a hand grinder and a kitchen aid attachment. Though I’d recommend purchasing a dedicated grinder if you plan to process more often.
Storing Your Wheat and Flour
Hard white wheat berries store really well. In a cool, dry place, they’ll last up to a year. Once they’re milled into flour, storage time drops, so I keep mine in airtight containers in the fridge or freezer to keep it fresh. I highly recommend the Mason Genie for storing things in jars!
Baking and Uses
Flour from hard white wheat makes bread a little sweeter and lighter than red wheat. I use it for everything from sandwich bread to muffins and cinnamon rolls. Its mild flavor really lets other ingredients shine, and it’s great for anyone who wants whole-grain flour without the strong “wheaty” taste.
Processing your own wheat berries takes a little time, but it’s worth it to be self sufficient. You know exactly what you’re putting into your baked goods, and there’s something satisfying about going from field to flour with your own hands.
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