Are you:

• Just starting out?
• Riddled with questions?
• Confused by techniques?
• Need help troubleshooting?

One option is to come to a class.  On line or in the actual kitchen – we offer classes to help you get hands on, real time assistance with your whole grain questions and more.

Another options (while you’re waiting for the next local or online class notice) is to read through our Baking & Grains FAQs.  Here you will find questions that have been sent in by others and they may have been asking advice for  the same whole grain topic!

Hope you enJOY learning more about and using good wholesome whole grains. We’re here to help!

Freshly Milled Whole-wheat Hotdog Buns

The Basic “Fool Proof” Bread Recipe we send out second in our newsletter series can be shaped into:

~ Burger Buns
~ Hot Dog Buns
~ Hoagie Buns
~ Bread Sticks (filled and twisted or just plain, warm and toasty)
~ Bread Bowls for Chilli and Soups
~ and SO many more potentials….

Even once made they can become other things if not used up:
~ Croutons (any of the above)
~ Garlic Bread (best for the hot dog/hoagie buns)
~ Toasted Crackers (slice thin [if not split for burger or hot dog] and butter/toast)
~ Open Faced Cheese Bread (Top with mixed cheeses and broil) to go with soups

So even as simple as the ONE recipe may be. Don’t get stuck with it ALWAYS just being a loaf of bread! Shape and use it in multiple ways!

Best Blessings!~
Donna Miller

Donna Miller is an author, teacher and entrepreneur. Her favorite roles are that of wife and mother to three home-school graduates. The Millers own and operate Millers Grain House which offers Organic and Chemical-free Whole Grains, Bosch Mixers, the NutriMill, instructional tutorials, recipes and more.

Please feel free to submit your own questions and comments about eating, and using whole grains.

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QUESTION: ???? ????? ? ???????? ?????????
Hello, Please tell me if white wheat is the same as soft white wheat? I’m trying to clarify the difference and its use. Is white wheat use to make white flour and soft wheat for pastry flour? Thanks, “D”

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ANSWER:
To help you clarify, let’s first talk about the color:

The color has nothing to do with the usage of the wheat – it only affects the taste and potentially the amount of niacin (which is not too lacking in most diets). Red wheats have a tiny bit higher niacin (a B vitamin) than white wheats, but that is about the only difference (based on color). They (reds) do have a more nutty flavor (almost bitter wheaty in my opinion) than white wheats.

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Bagged flour is often bleached either by natural or chemical bleaching and the husk has been taken out (along with the germ, etc) thus the ‘whiteness’.

White wheat when milled whole will not produce ‘white’ flour (like bagged flour white) because it is natural. It will be a very light golden color. It will bake to a golden yellow/brown color. It is the best transition grain (in my opinion) for those who are used to white loaf bread from the store. It is mild in flavor and aroma.

Red wheat when milled will be the more traditional ‘whole wheat’ color of a light brown. It will bake to a dark brown. It is stronger in flavor and aroma.

Again, color is not the determining factor of use, but will affect the taste. So it is taste and aesthetics (look) that determine what color you choose, what you want to use it for is a deciding factor in the type not color.

Now on to the type – hard or soft wheat:

This does affect the usage of the grain.

Soft wheats (regardless of color) have much less gluten thus are not as ‘spongy’ when used. They will not make very good loaf bread. Combine the soft wheat flours with hard for very good & fluffy muffins, pancakes, pie crusts, cookies (cookies can be all hard wheat too though) and more that does not require a ‘rise’ or elastic dough feeling.

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Soft wheats are used as a pastry four, but in my experience are hardly ever used exclusively alone (often combined with hard wheat) except in cakes (to which you must also sift the flour to remove some of the bran for a real cake like consistency). Cake flour alone is best as only soft wheat.

Hard wheats (regardless of color) are the grains that make the most all purpose flour. The hard wheat contains the most gluten (which is a protein) that helps the bubbles hold together in a loaf of bread. Gluten helps to give the spongy effect. If used in other recipes like muffins etc, it can result in a tough muffin if over mixed (mixing/kneading helps gluten form the bubble pockets).

So to sum up – color is a choice for taste and look, while hard or soft is a choice for type of recipe.

I hope this made sense, if not, just keep on asking! (o:
It’s a joy to help others learn this!!

Have a wonderful day!
–
Best Blessings!
Millers Grain House
Donna Miller, Owner

Deut 28:5 -
“A blessing upon your grain-basket and kneading-bowl.” ???? ? ???????? ????? ???????? ?????????

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If we have even just a little left over oatmeal and grits – we don’t throw them away! This recipe makes the best whole grain waffles in the blender from left-overs! I hope you go watch and enjoy!!

Whole Grain Left-Over Blender Waffles

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Best Blessings!

Donna Miller

Question: ” hi could you tell me how to make your bread in to a sub bread – I mean how do you make the long subway bread?”

Answer: A regular loaf recipe will make 4-6 sub rolls. You can decide what size you want – 4 rolls would make bigger rolls each than 6.

Divide the loaf after the first rise into 4 or 6 equal portions (weighing helps that) then roll each out on a greased surface like you would make a short snake with playdoh or a cigar shape.

Then set all 4 or 6 into a glass pyrex baking dish (like a casserole size, not a 9 x9 – but bigger rectangular one) with a little room to rise.

Before they rise, right after shaping, you can brush with olive oil and garnish with a bit of sesame seeds and Parmesan and Italian herbs for that ‘subway’ type taste. (o:

Let them rise at least 30 minutes just like the bread, or until doubled (sometimes it is a little longer for subs because you broke up the yeast).

When risen, bake as you would the bread – center rack, 350, for about 17-18 minutes.

Have fun!!

Hot dog buns are done the exact same way, just 8 of them (smaller) same recipe. Hamburger buns the same just shape like 8 hockey pucks (o:

Blessings dear Sister!!!
Donna ]]> http://www.eatgrains.com/wheat-information/question-and-answer-sub-bread-hot-dog-burger-buns-too/feed/ 0 http://www.eatgrains.com/wheat-information/loaf-bread-question-and-answers-split-and-lopsided/ http://www.eatgrains.com/wheat-information/loaf-bread-question-and-answers-split-and-lopsided/#comments Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:12:33 +0000 dnurkle http://www.eatgrains.com/?p=189 Question: “I did it all as the book directed, right down to to the exact ingredients. I used their techniques. It rose nicely. I shaped beautiful loaves. Then, as they rose, they split open and made for an uneven and lopsided loaf. What happened? What might I do if I see it happening again?”

Answers:
What this sounds like is one or more of the following:

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download Chasing Christmas

If it split somewhere in the top of the loaf (like the center ‘erupted’ at the top) it could be one of two things…
1. There was a bubble that was somewhere near the top of the loaf and it broke through the surface exposing the more bubbly inside. To avoid this, just make sure all bubbles squeak out when you are flattening to roll into the loaf for its second rise.
2. Or it could be too active of yeast. If you have recently opened a new package or are trying a new type of yeast it may be overly active compared to what you are used to using. Try cutting back by ¼ of a teaspoon in the next try.

If the loaf top split from the bottom (like a roof lifting off) it could be one of two things…
1. The yeast thing again but also add in this second one…
2. Too warm of a rising place. When the loaf rises too fast (in too warm of an area) the top tends to warp and then separate in the baking.

As to the lopsided loaf part, just make sure that the ends when tucked in are not bigger on one side than the other – this (or the ‘too warm/fast’ of a rise) will make a loaf with one end too high. ????? ?????? ??????? 3d ????? ??????

Last, but not least, sometimes weather can effect home baking. Moisture in the air and barometric pressure can play with it. Just remember, even if it’s not pretty, you can still eat it!

You can mill pastry flour from soft wheat (vs. the hard wheat that make good loaf bread) but it will not be silky smooth like bagged flour because the hulls (aka: bran., fiber) are not separated. You could sift it to get some of them out, but then again that is tedious and may not be necessary. For a texture of a pastry good that we are ‘used to’ it may be that you would have to use 1/4-1/2 of the flour as bagged organic pastry flour (still missing vital oils and oxidized but does lack chemicals and bleach) and the remaining part as freshly milled (to at least add more nutrients and fiber). Otherwise, the pastry flour straight from the soft wheat as milled is a whole wheat and will be a bit more dense than say a croissant type texture.

The way I look at it, even if 1/2 the recipe is freshly milled soft wheat, then you are getting more nutrients and bran than the usual pastry flour with it’s bleach and oxidized nutrients. Also if you go organic vs. regular bagged pastry flour, you are avoiding the chemicals and added synthasized viatmins that your body doesn’t recognize anyway.

Happy Milling!
Donna Miller

http://www.millersgrainhouse.com/store

The FDA has said to make at least half of your grain choices ‘whole grains’. This is certainly good advice to follow, but why stop there? Why not make MOST of your grain choices whole grains? Many people don’t know where to start. Let me give you some ideas:

1. Eat brown rice (not par boiled) instead of white rice
2. Eat only whole wheat bread (or at best home mill your flour from the whole fresh grain!!)
3. Whole rolled oats (also known as ‘old fashioned’) are a whole grain. Choose them over instant.
4. Ditch the pancake and muffin mixes and use at LEAST half whole wheat for the flour
(again home milling means you can use ALL whole grain flour) – see a video I did on ‘Make a-head Muffins” here.

These are just a few suggestions to get started. Once your diet starts to include more whole grains, you will find more ways everywhere to add them to your menu! Don’t forget the POPCORN!

Best Blessings!
Donna Miller

http://www.millersgrainhouse.com/store