Baking with Freshly Milled Flour: What to Know & How to Start
If you’ve been curious about freshly milled flour, but felt unsure on where to begin, you’re not alone! Freshly milled grains behave differently than store-bought flour, and learning how to work with them can feel both exciting and intimidating.
That’s exactly why I partnered with Grand Teton Ancient Grains to host a free, community-focused webinar all about baking with freshly milled flour to talk about what changes, what to expect, and how to get started with confidence. This webinar was a long-time dream of mine, and I’m truly honored and grateful to finally share it with you.
This blog post is designed to be a companion resource to that webinar and a place you can return to anytime you’re baking with fresh flour.
About the Webinar
This webinar was created as a way to give back to my community and share the knowledge I’ve gained through experimenting with whole grains, artistic sourdough, and naturally milled flour.
It was also designed to empower bakers from varying levels of experience to take the leap into something new and exciting!
Together with Jade from Grand Teton Ancient Grains, we covered:
- Grand Teton’s history, farming practices & commitment to clean grains and regenerative farming
- Grains and their unique characteristics and uses
- Why freshly milled flour behaves differently
- Practical baking adjustments for home bakers
- Recipes and everyday ways to use whole grains beyond bread
If you weren’t able to attend live webinar, or want to rewatch at your own pace, you can find the full recording and downloadable PDF takeaway below.
Meet Your Hosts
Katrina Niesen (The Sourdough Mama)
I’m an artistic sourdough baker, content creator, educator, and workshop host based in Southern California. My work blends creativity with traditional breadmaking, and I’m especially passionate about helping home bakers feel empowered working with natural ingredients and whole grains.
Jade – Grand Teton Ancient Grains
Jade Koyle is the co-founder of Grand Teton Ancient Grains, a regenerative organic family farm and mill based in Teton, Idaho. Committed to restoring ancient grains to the family table, Jade ensures that the same organic grains his family eats are shared with customers everywhere who value nutrition and flavor. His dedication to clean grains and regenerative farming is a big part of why I love the company.
Why Freshly Milled Flour Behaves Differently
Freshly milled flour isn’t just “fresh” it’s fundamentally different. When grain is milled fresh:
- The bran, germ, and endosperm remain intact- unless they are intentionally sifted out
- Natural oils and nutrients haven’t oxidized
- Flavor is fuller, sweeter, and more complex
Because of this, freshly milled flour:
- Absorbs water differently
- Ferments more rapidly
- Produces dough that can be sticky and need more gentle mixing to strengthen and oxidize
- Requires a mindset shift- it WILL be different and require a few more steps than a stable and mature store-bought flour because it is a living food rather than an aged one.
Key Baking Adjustments to Expect
Here are a few highlights we covered in the webinar:
- Hydration: Fresh flour often needs more water than aged flour (Einkorn is an exception) and an autolyse is recommended to help kickstart gluten strength
- Fermentation: Dough may ferment faster- due to the high enzymatic activity in freshly milled flour
- Handling: Gentler folds and extended mixing time will help to build strength without tearing the delicate gluten strands that freshly milled flour produces
- Expectations: Crumb structure will be tighter- this is normal! Freshly milled flour is coarser and heavier which will result in a more compact loaf
Remember, when working with freshly milled flour, the goal is flavor and nutrition. This often looks different from the classic “open crumb” and light, fluffy texture many sourdough bakers aim for.
The Benefits
Aged, store-bought, or mature flour in essence is dead flour, so to have the most nutritious sourdough, freshly milled is the way to go-even if you only incorporate a bit (20%+). Freshly milled flour is alive and offers a bundle of benefits including:
Enhanced flavor: freshly milled flour has a deeper, more complex taste that’s often described as nutty, sweet, or even slightly creamy. The aroma is also incredible!
Fresh nutrients: you’re getting the full benefit of the grain, since the oils and nutrients haven’t had time to oxidize or degrade. This includes: minerals and vitamins like iron, magnesium, zinc. If the whole wheat is used- there’s enhanced fiber intake as well.
Extended Shelf-Life: Wheat berries can be kept stored for decades under the correct conditions and milling your own flour allows you to ensure maximum freshness.
Digestibility: Many find working with freshly milled flours limits digestive issues even more than making sourdough bread with aged flour alone.
Tools to Get Started
You don’t need everything at once but a few tools make the process smoother:
- Flour Mill– they sell out fast so act now & pre-order if you can! I love my Komo mill for both aesthetics and performance. I have had it for a year and have not run into any issues.
- Wheat Berries (einkorn, hard white wheat, spelt)
- Kitchen scale
- A fine mesh sifter (optional for sifting and scalding grains)
- I’ve linked more of my favorite tools in the final page of the PDF (see below) to make gathering supplies easy.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work and helping me keep sharing sourdough tutorials!
Recipes & Everyday Inspiration
One of my favorite things about freshly milled flour is how versatile it is. We talked about using whole grains:
- Sprouted in salads
- Substituted into your favorite recipes- even just 20% will make a delicious and nutritious impact!
- Combing with a variety of flour types to create unique flavors and textures like in my Freshly Milled Rye Sandwich Bread
- Jade also spotlighted Whole Grain Einkorn Pancakes, a fantastic entry point if you’re new to fresh flour.
- One of my favorite recipes is THIS ONE that includes toasted oats
You’ll find recipe inspiration and ratios inside the PDF takeaway below.
Watch the Webinar
Watch the full webinar recording:
Download the PDF
Download the Freshly Milled Flour PDF Takeaway:
What’s Next?
If this webinar sparked your curiosity, I encourage you to:
- Begin with your favorite recipes and just replace 20% of the suggested flour with a freshly milled flour
- Bake something simple- like my Einkorn Pumpkin Bread Recipe
- Take notes during each bake and note how the dough feels and how hydration, fermentation, and mixing for dough strength might need to be adjusted
Remember, Freshly Milled Flour is a beautiful way to reconnect with your ingredients, your process, and your food. I am so excited for you to begin this journey and I am here to cheer you on and help you every step of the way. Reach out if you have questions: thesourdoughmama@gmail.com and happy baking.
With love,
Katrina
The Sourdough Mama
