If you’re new to baking with whole wheat and find your freshly milled bread is turning out dense, flat, gummy, or just not what you expected, it might not be your mill, your wheat, or even your recipe. Most of the time, it’s one of a handful of very common mistakes that almost every home-miller makes in the beginning.
Many people assume baking with whole wheat flour results in heavy bricks, but freshly milled flour is not the same as store-bought flour and should not be treated the same. Though it can be a daunting task to find the right balance with your bread recipes and making your own flour, the health benefits and flavor gained from using fresh flour in your recipes are too good to give up on.
And you don’t have to figure it out on your own! I am here to help you troubleshoot all of your bread-baking needs. Whether you’re having trouble with it turning out dry, flat, sticky, or even burning too easily, I have the fix for these issues and more. You’ll be troubleshooting whole wheat bread falling in the oven in no time; say goodbye to frustrating restarts!
By the end of this blog, you’ll be able to diagnose exactly what’s wrong with your bread and take the steps to fix it so you can enjoy the perfect loaf of healthy bread made with fresh, whole-grain wheat flour.
What You’ll Learn
- How to prevent mistakes while milling and preparing fresh wheat flour
- How to knead fresh-milled flour dough
- How to recognize and troubleshoot 12 common issues in baking with whole grain flour
- Ways to combat indigestion from freshly milled bread
3 Common Mistakes in Flour Milling and Preparation
Preparing your wheat flour is one of the most important steps in the baking process, as it lays the foundation for the kneading, the baking, and, most importantly, the eating! We don’t want to set ourselves up for failure, so there are a few things we can make sure we’re doing right with our whole grains to ensure the best possible outcome!
Your Flour is Milled Too Hot
One mistake that is often made during the milling process is milling your grains too hot. Freshly milled flour that’s warm or even hot straight out of the mill indicates it was overheated during the milling process.
Overheating wheat flour causes it to lose flavor and nutrients because heat damages the delicate oils in the wheat berries.
To prevent overheating whole-grain flour, separate it into smaller batches so you aren’t putting as much into the mill at one time. If you have an electric mill or one that’s adjustable, slow it down a little so that there is less friction and the flour doesn’t come out so warm.
When using a grain mill that’s not adjustable, you can keep your wheat berries cool before milling them to prevent overheating. If the grain flour is still turning out warm when you keep it cold beforehand, store the freshly milled flour in an airtight container for 30-60 minutes before baking.
Using Wheat Flour That’s Too Fresh
Since fresh flour is the goal, it may seem like an oxymoron to not want fresh flour, but using milled flour right after it’s been milled dampens the flavor. Letting it sit allows the starches from the grains to properly settle, guaranteeing the delicious flavor profiles show up nicely in your bread.
To make sure your freshly milled flour isn’t too fresh, rest your bread flour for up to 2 hours in a sealed container. Not only will this improve the flavor of your wheat flour, but it improves the structure, giving you an overall better loaf.
This has not been my natural tendency to let the flour sit, as I usually mill, mix and bake. Yet, if this step improves the flavor in your bread, then it is worth it. I also use flour that was milled the day or even the week before, and it tastes amazing.
Not Letting the Milled Flour Hydrate
When whole-grain bread dough doesn’t have time to fully absorb the water added, it can cause many issues. We want our dough to be plenty hydrated, so when we start baking that perfect recipe, our bread doesn’t crack and crumble on us.
Autolyse is a very important part of making bread with freshly milled wheat flour. Autolyse is when you leave your freshly mixed dough to sit before kneading it or using it in any recipes. This process allows your dough to hydrate properly, fully absorbing the moisture, rather than letting it sit on top.
If you don’t wait for proper hydration and knead dough right after mixing, it will end up feeling sticky and weak. Freshly milled flour absorbs water more slowly than store-bought flour, which means this is even more important when working with fresh flour.
Typically, you want to autolyse (let it sit) for 15-30 minutes before you start kneading your whole-grain dough. For grains with more bran content, such as hard red wheat, spelt, and rye, you will need to autolyse longer—up to 45 minutes. This allows the hydration to penetrate all the bran in the wheat. For sourdough, 60 minutes is the perfect time for autolyse.
Once your dough has set and finished hydrating, it’s ready to be kneaded!
How to Knead Dough with Fresh Flour
Kneading dough made from fresh wheat berries differs from that made from white flour. While modern hard wheat (white flour) loves kneading, ancient grains are not a fan. In fact, most of them like to be kneaded as little as possible. Einkorn, spelt, emmer, and Kamut all need to be kneaded for a very short amount of time.
How long to knead fresh-milled flour dough depends on which ancient grain you are using for your recipe.
For dough mixtures with spelt, knead gently for only 2-4 minutes. For Einkorn, don’t knead at all; instead, this dough needs to be folded.
Emmer only needs a short mix: one or two folds. Finally, Kamut (khorsan) requires slow, gentle handling.
If you are used to using white flour, remember that these different wheat types should not be handled the same. By knowing the correct way to handle your wheat flour, you will end up with the ability to make many delicious and healthy recipes!
Adding Salt While Kneading Fresh Wheat Dough
Another common mistake is adding the wrong amount of salt. If we treat freshly milled flour dough the same as store-bought, we won’t be adding enough salt into our dough, resulting in baked goods that turn out bland.
Flavor is important in sourdough bread and any other recipe you’re trying out, so finding the perfect balance of salt to add to your flour is vital to the baking process. Like we are the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13), we want our fresh wheat flour to be salted as well!
When using freshly milled wheat flour, you need slightly more salt because of its stronger flavor. Otherwise, your ancient grains will overpower the salt content, making bread that has an unbalanced flavor.
For a perfectly balanced loaf, add salt that equals 2-2.2% of the flour weight. For example, if your recipe calls for 1000g of flour, use 20-22g of salt, depending on if you want it a tad saltier or not.
Diagnosing Your Loaf: 12 Common Symptoms
Even if you think you followed all the steps and took steps to prevent the above mistakes, baking with whole wheat flour can be tricky. Fortunately, we can look at our bread to figure out what is going on and how to fix it; here is what it’s trying to tell you.
1. Sticky Dough with Freshly Milled Flour: Troubleshooting Tips
If your bread turns out wet or gummy inside, there are a few things that could cause this:
- There wasn’t enough flour
- The loaf wasn’t baked long enough
- Any raw milk used wasn’t scalded
- Too much potato water was added
Ending up with sticky dough with freshly milled flour is a common experience, but it can be solved by making sure you use the right amount of flour. If you didn’t add potato water or raw milk and your bread has baked plenty, try adding more flour than the recipe calls for by 1/4 cup.
If the interior of your loaf is turning out bready but shiny, you will need to adjust your recipe for a little more structure or bake time.
2. Fix Dry or Crumbly Whole Wheat Bread: The Secret to Proper Hydration
If you are having the opposite issue, and your recipe is turning out dry and crumbly, this is almost always due to too much flour, coarse flour, or add-ins that weren’t soaked first.
One way to notice this in your dough before baking it is to recognize when it feels tight instead of soft and springy. This means it’s probably thirsty.
To fix crumbly whole wheat bread, add water a teaspoon at a time until the dough relaxes.
3. Swiss Cheese Bread? How to Fix Large Holes in Your Loaf
If your bread recipe is ending up looking more like Swiss cheese on the inside, the air pockets weren’t pressed out during shaping. To make sure it is prepared correctly, give your dough a firm, confident shaping and roll it tightly before placing it in the pan.
4. Is Your Yeast Inactive? What to Do When Dough Won’t Rise
If your dough isn’t rising at all and sits there like a sad pancake, don’t get frustrated with your flour; instead, check your yeast. Your yeast could be old, inactive, killed by water that was too hot, or your rising spot was too warm.
It’s important to make sure your yeast is happy so that it rises correctly. Make sure it sits at a comfortable 75-85°F.
5. Why Is My Fresh Milled Bread So Dense? Understanding Texture
Bread-making with freshly milled flour can end up with a dense loaf that won’t rise in the oven, but it’s possible to figure out what’s wrong and to fix short and dense bread.
Here are a few reasons why freshly milled bread is so dense:
- Heavy whole grain flour is weighing it down
- The dough rose for too long
- The gluten strands weren’t fully developed
- Your pans are too big for your dough
- The dough was too wet
To fix bread that won’t rise, make sure when kneading dough that it becomes the right texture. A well-kneaded dough feels elastic and should resist stretching before it tears. This is how you’ll know it’s ready for the oven.
6. Slow-Rising Dough: How to Speed Up Fermentation for Healthy Bread
If you find that your dough is taking forever to rise, this is most likely because of the environment and ingredients you have. Cold ingredients slow everything down. If you have a chilly work surface and kitchen, or if your water or milled flour was cold, expect it to rise slowly.
When using your own flour, make sure it, your other ingredients, and dishes are at room temperature to ensure a quicker rise.
7. Troubleshooting Whole Wheat Bread Falling in the Oven
It can be very disheartening to watch your hard work rise perfectly, then collapse in on itself before you even take it out of the oven. Fortunately, this is fixable. When your bread collapses, this shows that it was over-proofed, or the oven wasn’t hot enough at the start.
Let your oven fully pre-heat before putting it in the oven, and bake when the dough has risen just over the edge of the container and springs back gently when touched. You don’t want to bake dough that is bloated and wobbly.
8. Preventing Burnt Crusts: Adjusting Your Temperature for Baking with Whole Wheat
If you keep ending up with an outer layer that is more burnt than golden, it’s likely that your oven is too hot or you’re baking for too long. Other things that can quickly turn your recipe into a burnt crisp are honey or a glass pan. This doesn’t mean you can’t use a glass pan or honey, but use precaution when you do, so that your baked goods end up with the perfect golden finish.
To prevent burning your crust, drop your temperature 20°.
9. How to Fix a Pale Bread Crust for a Golden Finish
If your bread is too pale even after you give it an extra five minutes, you’ll want to double-check that your fresh wheat flour absorbed all the moisture it needed before it was put in the oven. One of the best ways to prevent this is to check that your oven has preheated all the way before baking your bread.
If you are still having issues with pale bread when using fresh whole grain flour, gently brush the dough with an egg wash before baking to achieve a golden finish.
10. Poor Bread Flavor? Tips for Grain Storage and Flour Milling
No one likes bread with poor flavor, and fresh bread flour milled in your own grain mill has much to offer in the way of flavor. Proper grain storage is very important for preserving the flavor of your whole grains, because they can otherwise turn stale and rancid. Be sure to read Everything You Need to Know About Ancient Grains and Storage for insight on storing grain and the right airtight containers to use for a longer shelf life.
Skipping steps in your recipe, or simply using the wrong one, can cause dull flavors or ones you don’t like. Certain recipes might not have the flavor you prefer, so find what suits your personal preference.
When it comes to using whole grain flour, whether for its nutty flavor or nutritional value, fresher flour makes a tremendous difference in the flavor and aroma.
11. Flat or Pasty Taste: Why Salt is Essential When Baking with Whole Wheat
If your bread doesn’t taste bad, but is flat, this indicates that you are simply not adding enough salt. As mentioned before, it is important to add the right amount of salt when using whole grains to make flour. Whole grain wheat flour requires more salt, which will strengthen the gluten proteins and balance the natural sweetness of wheat flour.
12. Bread Falling Apart When Slicing? Why Proper Cooling is Key
Bread that falls apart when trying to slice it can be caused by a dry dough or by slicing it before it’s fully cooled. As enjoyable as a perfectly fresh, warm slice of healthy, homemade bread is, it’s important to make sure it’s cooled before you go to slice it; otherwise, you’ll end up with a crumbly mess on your plate.
Cooling sets the structure of your bread, so if you’re struggling with it crumbling, give it another few minutes before you dig in.
Why Healthy Bread Sometimes Causes Indigestion?
It’s not unusual for freshly milled flour to cause indigestion or sleepiness, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea to use whole grains. If you’re struggling with this, it doesn’t mean you can’t eat freshly milled wheat flour, or that you chose the wrong recipe. Sometimes the issue is that your body is adjusting to different grains and wheat in your diet.
Though wheat flour with ancient grains is more easily digestible than white flour or the typical all-purpose flour, you may still have issues with milled flour. If you’re having issues, it could be that your bread is under-baked or you are eating the whole grains too fresh. Grain sensitivities, which are very prevalent, can also cause issues with digesting wheat flour, even if it is freshly milled. If you’re eating very carb-heavy meals along with your grains, you may also have problems with digestion.
It’s also important to know you are buying the best whole grains for your money, so check out this list of Best Places to Buy Organic Whole Grains.
The best option to fix digestive discomfort is to take enzymes, such as Digest or Digestzyme, to help your gut. You will also want to pair carbs with dishes that have a high protein content.
Before you enjoy your whole-grain, fresh bread, let it rest for a whole day to give your gut an easier time because of the different bran content in your fresh wheat flour.
Above all, don’t forget to give your gut a little grace!
Freshly Milled Flour in Bread Baking Mastery
Congratulations! You’ve done it. Now you are armed with knowledge and ready to tackle whatever hardships and struggles your whole grain wheat flour brings. Baking with flour made from whole grains is a skill, one that has to be learned, but it is well worth it for the many benefits from whole grains.
Once you start using wheat flour made from whole grains, you will see how positively flour from whole grains affects your health.
Start converting those recipes to freshly milled flour so that you can reap the benefits of bread making with wheat flour fresh from your own grain mill. Check out this video on the Best Grains for Muffins so you can know whether you should use soft wheat or hard white wheat for your favorite recipes. So pull out those ancient grains from storage, grab the sourdough starter, and load up
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is baking with whole wheat flour healthier? Yes! Grinding your own flour to use in baking is healthier than store-bought flour. By using freshly milled flour, the wheat maintains nutrients since it isn’t sitting out like the flour you can buy in the store, where they sift flour and store it long enough for it to lose much of its nutrients. Fresh wheat is packed with minerals, vitamins, fiber, and healthy fats—a much better alternative to the aged flour found in stores!
- What is the best kind of mill for whole grains? My overall best pick for a grain mill is the Mockmill Lino 200, which is perfect if you’re looking to grind flour for your whole family. This grain mill can mill all 7 types of grain and is very user-friendly. If you want a further breakdown of this mill and others, check out this list of the Top Home Grain Mills.
- How much whole wheat flour to substitute for all-purpose? When substituting freshly milled flour for white, it is a one-to-one ratio, even though the whole grain flour is heavier because of the bran and germ. Instead of using less or extra flour, make sure you are following the correct steps when hydrating your flour, as doing this correctly is what leads to perfectly fluffy bread.
- What kind of whole grain flour is best for sourdough? The absolute best grain to use for sourdough bread is hard white wheat. This wheat LOVES long fermentation and gives your bread great structure. The flavor of this wheat is even better when it is mixed with other ancient grains. Check out The Wheat Berry Encyclopedia for a full list of the best wheat flour for sourdough, and which wheats work well together to give you the most delicious bread.
- How to start milling flour at home? It may seem intimidating, but milling your own flour is easy! With these tips, you will have mastered grinding your own wheat in no time. First, you will need a grain mill, ancient grains, and a recipe you’re excited to learn. Plus, you will have the benefit of making more flour than you could purchase in stores. If you need more guidance, learn How to Make Healthy Bread here!
