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Syzygies
Member
Post Number: 31
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Monday, November 08, 2004 - 1:09 pm:
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We grind our own flour for everything, including K baking. There was an extended discussion of this on Smoking Bacon, pulling that thread way off topic. Liz bought my favorite grinder and asked for tips, which I'm posting here. Some of this is a recap:
I was most recently inspired to grind my own grains by Paul Bertolli's Cooking by Hand. I'd experienced too many bad whole grain cooks over the years, who were motivated more by conscience than lust, and whose food tasted like wet paper towels. On the other hand, most bakers I know are in denial about the absolute lack of flavor and the modest nutritional profile of white flour, because they are so enamored with its handling properties.
If you grind your own grain, you get the highly perishable and very nutritious germ which is not present in supermarket shelf bags, and you have the option of sieving out the bran. This gets rid of that wet paper towel taste, and yields a beautiful, fine chestnut colored flour you can't buy anywhere, with working properties if anything superior to white flour. We use this for everything, going through $20 50 lb sacks of hard red winter and hard white winter wheat each year, and less soft wheat and rye.
I've used many grain mills over the years, by far the most convenient one I use is the Wolfgang Flour Mill. It can grind flour fine enough for delicate pasta, and it's less fuss than a coffee grinder. Despite claims, I find that it needs help for dent field corn. Cracking the kernels first in a hand mill or a Thai mortar and pestle does the trick, not a lot of work for the small quantities needed for polenta.
The crucial step for me in grinding flour is to sieve out the bran. Sure, bran is healthy, one should leave it in when possible, but it also tastes funny, and affects the handling properties of the flour. I use an Italian drum sieve (pictured) for sieving. For critical applications, one can sieve several times, removing more bran on each iteration.
For making fresh pasta, I grind white hard winter wheat or a blend including hard white or red wheat, add a pinch of salt, perhaps a TB of olive oil, then mix in whole eggs and/or yolks until the dough is nearly wet enough. I then add water until the dough is a bit too wet. Unlike white flour, which turns to library paste at the slightest provocation, freshly ground whole flour is thirsty. Let it sit a few minutes, half an hour, then knead it by hand, working in white flour as necessary to dry it back out to the desired consistency. If the dough doesn't pass through a soft, almost fluid stage, it will handle like concrete. I then use a pasta maker to thin out sheets of pasta (not to knead it), dusting their surface to keep them dry to the touch. I then cut on a pasta maker or a pasta guitar.
I like to live dangerously, so I cover the pasta to cook it, lunging for the lid just as it boils over, then wait another minute or two. This is my adaptation of a traditional Chinese method, it has a beautiful simplicity that makes me feel grounded: For dumplings, they add several measured quantities of cold water, letting the pot return to the boil each time. |
Syzygies
Member
Post Number: 32
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Monday, November 08, 2004 - 1:19 pm:
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Here are our standard recipes, adapted to freshly ground whole flour. This strawberry rhubarb pie used the pie crust recipe. In all cases, we use Spectrum Organic Shortening for solid shortening, to avoid trans fats. Natural lard is another option.
Flour tortillas (makes 7 to 9 tortillas, can be doubled)
Stir together
2 c whole wheat flour
3/4 t salt
1/8 t citric acid (optional, helps lessen oxidation)
Rub in as for pie
35 g solid shortening (2 1/2 T)
Stir in water to make a soft dough
1/2 to 1 c water
Knead on a floured board about 10 minutes. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 1/2 hours before rolling.
Use about 70 g dough for one tortilla. Roll out and cook one or two minutes on each side in a hot frying pan (cast iron works well).
Bread
For sponge, mix together:
3/4 c rye flour
3/4 c whole wheat flour
2 1/2 t dry yeast
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 c warm water (70 to 90 degrees F)
Cover with plastic and let stand 6 to 12 hours.
Add to sponge
2 T olive oil
1 3/4 t salt
1 1/2 t sugar
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour (more if needed so the dough is not too sticky)
Stir together and let rest for 20 minutes (autolyse). Knead until it is smooth and hangs together, about 10 to 12 minutes with a dough hook (nb: kneading by machine helps make a wetter dough). Cover with plastic and let rise until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Prepare a small loaf pan (8 3/8 x 4 1/2 inches - these can be hard to find. King Arthur and Williams Sonoma carry this size), either line it with parchment paper (recommended), or by greasing.
(Shaping instructions from Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book)
When doubled, deflate dough and pat it into a large round on a floured surface. Fold it almost halfway, so the dough smiles at you. Press to remove air bubbles. Fold in the ends so the total width is slightly less than the length of the loaf pan. Press out air bubbles. Starting from the fold, roll into a cylinder and seal the edges. Press down on the ends with the sides of your hands to seal. Place the loaf in the prepared pan.
When the loaf has risen to about the top of the pan (about 30 minutes), preheat the oven to 450 F. When the oven is hot (10 or 15 more minutes), put in the bread and reduce temperature to 400. After about 20 minutes, insert a probe to monitor the temperature, if you have one. When interior of the loaf reaches 182 (about 25 to 30 minutes cooking time), turn the loaf out of the pan and put it back in the oven. Increase heat to 425. Remove when interior of loaf is 198, about 40 minutes total cooking.
Pie crust (one two-crust 8 or 9 inch pie)
Mix together
2 c whole wheat flour
1 t salt
Cut in finely
4 T butter
Cut in coarsely
4 oz solid shortening (1/2 c)
Stir in with fork until crumbs come together, then gather with your hands
up to 1/2 c cold water
Make the dough a little wetter than one would expect; it will hydrate in the fridge. However, it's hard to recover from too wet. Freshly ground flour takes some readjustment to develop the proper feel. Press the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic. Chill 4 hours or more.
(Message edited by Syzygies on November 08, 2004) |
U2plt
Associate Member
Post Number: 11
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Monday, November 08, 2004 - 1:49 pm:
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Wonderful presentation. Waiting for my K9M and can not wait to make bread in it.
I have been making my own Sourdough starter for 2 weeks now letting the local yeast spores and Lacto-bacillus do there thing. Hope to use it for my Kamado bread. |
Brianw
Member
Post Number: 698
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Monday, November 08, 2004 - 4:15 pm:
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GREAT post. |
Colacooker
Member
Post Number: 66
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Monday, November 08, 2004 - 5:14 pm:
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Dave,
Have you ever tried to produce semolina from Durham wheat in your grinder? I wonder if it's any harder than the winter wheat?
Tony |
Syzygies
Member
Post Number: 34
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Monday, November 08, 2004 - 7:08 pm:
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Tony,
I have yet to find a source for Durum wheat; white winter wheat is the closest I can come, and it's also hard to find. Often, semolina is sold too coarse for pasta, and I regrind it to use in my pasta mixes. I'd doubt that whole grain Durum wheat is as hard as corn. Any idea where I can find some?
[Edited for spelling. My sweetie said we were spelling Durum flour wrong, so of course I typed "Durhum Flour" into google, no hits, it asked me if I meant "Durham flour?" I told her, "Ha! I've been waiting two years for you to be wrong about something, I should post this." "Don't you dare!" Then she says she searched, got 22,000 hits. She lost me when she went on about the latin roots...]
(Message edited by Syzygies on November 08, 2004) |
Syzygies
Member
Post Number: 35
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Monday, November 08, 2004 - 11:29 pm:
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I got further in my googling after learning how to spell Durum wheat: Here's an online organic source I may try:
www.grainsnthings.com/grainprices.html
Meanwhile, it turns out that the Kamut pictured at the top of this thread is actually a low-gluten ancient relative of Durum wheat. I'll have to try it in pasta again... |
Paradux
Member
Post Number: 149
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 09, 2004 - 5:10 am:
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Dave,
Wonderful info! I purchased a small amount of organic wheat at the local health food store (not sure which type) to experiment with. I will have to crank up the grain mill this weekend. And I'll be looking for your care package.
Thanks again,
--Liz |
Lance
Member
Post Number: 106
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 09, 2004 - 10:37 am:
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U2plt, what's a "K9M"? I know it must be a #9 Kamado, but what's the M? |
Colacooker
Member
Post Number: 67
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 09, 2004 - 11:14 am:
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Dave,
I agree that the semolina flour that is available for purchase is usually a little too coarse for hand made pasta. When making pasta by hand I add a small amount of semolina to the regular white flour for a little extra texture and color. When I use my extruder to make pasta I use only coarse ground semolina because it gives the surface of the pasta a rougher texture that is a desirable feature for dried pasta.
A flour mill is a perfect way to get the exact texture you're after. Keep us posted, I tempted to give it a try.
Tony |
Syzygies
Member
Post Number: 36
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 09, 2004 - 11:47 am:
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Liz,
Laurie asked me to emphasize that the hard white winter wheat I sent you is great for pasta (I also like it for "cracker" applications such as Focaccia di Recco), but boring and a bit hard for other uses. We prefer hard red winter wheat, softened as needed with soft wheat or other grains such as rye.
Tony,
If you look around, you can find "extra-fine" semolina flour, which works great for pasta. It's a trek for me to the nearest source, so I just wing it with the local stuff since I have a grinder.
(Message edited by Syzygies on November 09, 2004) |
Paradux
Member
Post Number: 152
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 10, 2004 - 4:49 am:
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Dave,
Thanks much for the tips (please thank Laurie, too) - and I received your care package yesterday - thank you!
--Liz |
Rickh
Member
Post Number: 76
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 10, 2004 - 12:32 pm:
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Lance, I'm guessing that the "m" is for mosaic, as opposed to textured. |
Rickh
Member
Post Number: 77
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 10, 2004 - 12:34 pm:
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Lance, I'm guessing that the "m" is for mosaic, as opposed to textured. |
Rickh
Member
Post Number: 78
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 10, 2004 - 12:40 pm:
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Sorry about the double-posting. I meant to add that I found the health-oriented discussion at this link helpful for my educational ingress into the grain-grinding world, as well as the links at the bottom of the page, and most particularly the wheat foods council's grain info center:
http://www.ynhh.org/online/nutrition/advisor/whole_grains.html |
Rickh
Member
Post Number: 79
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 10, 2004 - 12:52 pm:
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Stop me before I sin again:
http://www.baking911.com/pantry_flour,grains.htm |
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Grinding Flour