How do I get started?

Many people "want" to learn how to eat healthier and learn how to unprocess their foods and incorporate whole grains into their diet but the question I get over and over again is "How do I get started"?

I highly suggest getting the proper equipment. Just like any profession if you don't have the proper equipment to get the job done it leads to frustration and can be time consuming and costly in the end. In my seminars I teach the participants just how easy it is to incorporate whole grains into their daily menus. We are all busy. If it's not fast and easy people tend not to keep up with it. I teach them that its not only fast and easy to use whole grains but you also have the all of the wonderful nutritional benefits that go along with eating whole foods. Not only that……whole grains taste great!

The proper equipment begins with a grain mill. The easiest way to incorporate whole grains into your diet is to mill them up into flour and add them to your breads and baked goods. The grain mills have actually come down in price from 10 years ago. They range in price from about $129 - $239. Please see grain mills in the product review section.
The grain mill is so important because as you know ANY store bought flour (yes, even organic whole wheat flour from the health food store) has had the outer layer of the grain removed. In this removal of the outer layer of the grain also goes 90% of the vitamins/minerals, fiber, phytochemicals (cancer fighting agents) and many trace elements that our bodies need to thrive. The commercial milling companies are not going to go back to selling us the whole grain any time soon as they can make so much more money by selling the "whole grain" in many pieces. For example you can purchase wheat germ, wheat bran, wheat germ oil, flour and many animal feeds are made of the middling, which is also part of the grain that is removed. Why would a company trying to make money sell just one product when they can take one product and sell 5 components of the product. Even with milling your own flour it's important to use the flour right away or freeze it. If fresh flour is left out at room temperature the nutrients will begin to be oxidized and after about 72 hours there may not be too many nutrients left. Not only is the flour on the store shelf void of fiber and nutrients but any nutrients that may have been left are now oxidized and the flour may becoming rancid. That's why you will sometimes get a bag of flour that performs very well and some that don't.
BOTTOM LINE: The only way to get fresh flour is to mill it yourself.

A grain mill is an investment in your health.

If you still feel you cannot afford a grain mill there are options. Please check out our Bargain bin for any gently used models; we also have a great layaway plan, which is a FREE pay as you go plan. No extra charges apply!
We have also had customers purchase a grain mill with a friend or relative to share.

Some grain mills to stay away from: Any grain mill that is an attachment to something else, like a mixer. For one these grain mills do not mill the flour fine enough and they heat up the motor of the appliance that they are running off of too much. I have had many people burn out their Kitchen Aid mixers for example by using the grain mill attachment. Another option that doesn't seem to work out is the Vitamix to mill grain into flour. Yes, the manufacture says you can do it but I have had many unhappy customers stating that the flour just isn't the texture that they like. The Vitamix blenders are expensive, you can almost purchase a grain mill AND mixer, which will be able to do MUCH MORE than any Vitamix can do.

Invest in a good grain mill. The best grain mills available today are the Ultra Mill, Whisper Mill and Nutrimill. See our review of the different grain mills.

The next step would be to find a source for grains. We have compiled a list of co-ops. There may be one in your area. Other ideas would be to ask your local grocer or health food store manager to see if they can order you bags of grain when they place their orders. Typically purchasing small amounts of grain from the bulk bins can get costly. It's much more economical to purchase grain in 25-50# bags.

The next step would be finding a container to store your grain in. Always look for "food grade safe" buckets. Do not just go out a purchase any Rubbermaid container, as they may not be food grade safe. That's important because if they are not food grade safe then toxins from the plastic can leach into your foods. Many co-ops will sell white food grade safe buckets for around $5-$7/each. Or check with your local grocery stores bakery department. They have plenty of these white food grade safe buckets that the frostings, etc come in. Many times these buckets are FREE! Once you have your buckets I highly recommend getting some gamma seal lids. These are very important especially with the bakery buckets sometimes they have been so pried off that they don't seal well. The gamma seals fit this bucket and will allow you to get a very tight seal. If the seal isn't tight that's an invitation to bugs! Better yet the gamma seal lids will last forever and make the bucket very easy to open! For those of us who have struggled for more than a half hour trying to open a bucket the gamma seals are a welcomed investment!

Note about grains: For breads you want a high protein wheat. Typically you will use a hard white or red wheat (either spring or winter wheat). I prefer the white wheat, as the taste is very mild. This is a great wheat to start with as it may be more pleasing for those hardened white bread eaters. Red wheat is good and has a heartier flavor. In my seminar I recommend that you start with just wheat and get your bread making technique down for a few months. Then branch out into different grains and beans.
When placing your first grain order you may want to purchase both hard and soft wheat. Hard wheat is for breads and Soft wheat has a low gluten content which makes it great for cakes, cookies, muffins, pancakes, waffles, etc.

Other bread making supplies include:
Oil - We always use olive oil. Look for the organic cold pressed olive oil, as this is the least processed.

Yeast - We only use SAF yeast. Over the years this yeast has proven itself to be the best. Years ago when we had our family bakery our baked goods just never came out quite as well when we would use a different yeast. SAF yeast is very "forgiving". It performs well in many different environments and doesn't seem to be as temperamental as other yeasts.

Honey - Local honey is always the best. Look for raw and unfiltered honey.

Dough Enhancer - This all-natural product increases the shelf life of the whole grain breads. It also produces a moister loaf of bread. One can goes a long way. Typically one can will be enough for approx. 100 loaves of bread.

Vital Wheat Gluten - Increases the strength of the gluten in the bread thus producing a stronger higher rising loaf of bread. A must when using grains with little gluten. At 2 TBSP per 5-6 loaves of bread a can will last a long time.

Mixing the dough:
You can always knead the dough by hand, use a bread machine or small mixer but we recommend a powerful mixer for the best results. Remember whole grain bread has more of the "good stuff" in it therefore it takes more kneading strength to develop the gluten.
Kitchen Aid mixer will do the job but not well. The Kitchen Aid mixers of today are not the powerful mixers of many years ago. For one the mixer cannot make more than two loaves of bread at a time. I get calls weekly from people who are looking to purchase a new mixer as their Kitchen Aid mixer kept breaking. The Bread Machines may also not be the best choice. Most bread machines work in the same way. A pulley mechanism will move the kneading blade. Over time the pulley system that turns the kneading blades(s) may stretch out and then there isn't enough power in the kneading blades to properly develop the gluten of whole grain dough. Sometimes the kneading cycle isn't long enough to develop the gluten in whole grain breads.

When it comes to mixers the proper equipment is a must. We recommend the Bosch Mixers or the Electrolux DLX mixer. All of these mixers can handle large or small amounts of dough, they can handle whole grains without problems, and they are designed to last a very long time. They also come in a variety of price ranges and packages. Please see our product reviews on the different mixers and our mixer packages under our products category.

A caution when looking for a mixer. Everyone always loves a great deal….me included. But beware whom you purchase your mixer from. Some dealers are not authorized and you will have problems getting any warranty work done if you purchased an item from an unauthorized dealer. We have also seen over and over again someone who purchased a mixer from a dealer that didn't even know what a DLX was but they sold them. These customers are left on their own and it can be very frustrating if you have a question or need some help and have no one to turn to. We will attempt to match our competitors' prices whenever we can. However, even more important than price is the fact that we know what we sell. We are here to help you every step of the way. Anyone can sell you a product but this is our passion and my goal is to teach you how to use the product.

Please visit our Bread Making Tutorial for step-by-step instructions for making a super loaf of bread!

If you are in the Colorado area please plan on attending one of our Whole Grain Bread Making Seminars. They are fun and informative!