Why Whole Wheat is Way Better

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Lori Fulton
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania

Maximum Nutritional Value

For about 25 years, my sole mill experience has been using a Bosch grain mill.

Although I may use it only a couple of times a month, at one point in time, I was making bread every week and needed to grind the grains. I have never had a moment’s problem with the mill. The set of earplugs is useful in blocking out the high-pitched motor sounds.

It is very satisfying to know I’m maximizing the nutritional value of the grain at mealtimes.

Judy Wahlers
Phoenix, Arizona

Trading Trout for Wheat

We live in Illinois, near St. Louis, and local wheat is not as rich in gluten as the hard, western red wheat. We camp out West regularly and bring back a few bushels of wheat every couple of years. Last time, on the way home after a fishing trip, I stopped at a grain elevator alongside of the railroad in western Colorado. The operator suggested his discharge chute would burst my plastic trash bags in which I had proposed to collect wheat from his elevator, so he directed me to Delmar Eichenberg, a local farmer. We visited Delmar, admired Native American artifacts he had collected, ended up trading fresh trout for a few bushels of his wheat, made a new friend and plan to repeat the visit soon.

I use a Vita-Mix to grind 2 cups at a time, which takes 1½ minutes to turn wheat berries into fresh flour. I sometimes add dried cranberries, walnuts and raisins to the bread. We have five generations of our family here on the farm, and all enjoy it immensely: warm, it’s irresistible; cold, it’s great with jelly, butter or plain; toasting even enhances the flavor. Ingredients are about 12 cents for a pound and a half loaf.

Richard P. Ellerbrake
Lebanon, Illinois

Evolution of The Loaf

It all started as a general interest in healthful eating. As vegetarians, bread is an important and exciting part of our diet. After our exposure to Zingerman’s bread (Ann Arbor, Mich.), we knew we would never find satisfaction with grocery store bread again. The excellent “chew” and hearty crust in these rustic, old-world and beautiful loaves is incomparable.

Several hundred hum-drum grocery loaves later, we began to put the pieces together:

1) The bread machine we got for Christmas one year,
2) The Laurel’s Kitchen Bread Book that lay dormantly on a shelf,
3) The availability of whole wheat berries just a short drive away at an Amish bulk food store, and
4) The purchase of a hand-crank mill called “Our Very Best Grain Mill.”

Our plan was to make Desem (Day’-zum) bread once a week as outlined in Laurel’s book. Desem is Flemish for “starter”and is a unique way to bring wholesome wheat bread into your life. Desem deserves recognition because the ingredients are so pure and simple: wheat, water and salt. It was glorious and a memorable homesteading experience.

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