How To Mill Your Own Flour at Home & Why You Should Start

Learn how to mill your own flour at home for fresher, healthier, and more flavorful baking. Discover the benefits and simple steps to get started today!

Have you ever considered what’s really in the flour you buy at the store? That question led me to explore the world of freshly milled flour, and what I discovered was eye-opening. Store-bought flour, even the organic options, often lacks the nutrients and freshness that whole grains naturally provide. After learning more about the health benefits, I decided it was time to take control of what goes into my baking.

Milling my own flour at home has allowed me to create healthier, more flavorful breads and baked goods using flour inits purest form. It’s been a rewarding process—one that not only improves the quality of food I serve my family but has also opened up a whole new world of possibilities in my kitchen. 

In this guide, I’ll walk you through why milling your own flour is worth considering, what you need to get started, and a few simple steps to help you begin your own journey into freshly milled baking.

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Why You Should Mill Your Own Flour

Maybe you’re like me—curious about why milling your own flour at home has become so popular and wondering what the real benefits are. Let’s take a closer look.

Nutritional Benefits:
Where do I even begin? By milling your own flour all parts of the grain remain. The bran, germ, and endosperm provide important nutrients like fiber, B vitamins, antioxidants, and healthy fats. In contrast, store-bought white flour (the endosperm only) often loses these nutrients during processing and storage. One fact I learned is that freshly milled flour contains 40% more vitamins and minerals than store-bought flour and contains 40 of the 44 essential nutrients we need in order to live! 

Better Flavor:
One of the first things my family noticed when we tried our first slice of whole grain bread was the taste. It actually had a taste and flavor of its own. There’s a distinct nutty flavor that you don’t get with store-bought breads or even whole wheat flour you purchase from the grocery store. Consider for a moment just how long the flour from grocery stores has been sitting on the shelf of a warehouse before it even makes its way to the store. Producers have to remove the bran and germ so that it doesn’t spoil, therefore removing the rich natural flavor. 

Control Over Ingredients:
As a mother of 5, I value real foods and ingredients  I can serve my kids without the junk. This now includes controlling the ingredients in my breads, cakes, and cookies because I mill my own grains. I no longer have to worry or wonder about additives, preservatives, or bleaching agents. Yes, you read that correctly. Flour bleaching agents are often used to make white flour even more white. Some of these agents like benzoyl peroxide have been banned from use in foods in other countries because of potential health concerns.

Cost-Effective in the Long Run:
Buying whole grains in bulk can save money over time while ensuring you always have fresh, high-quality ingredients on hand. Whole grains have a long shelf life when stored properly, allowing you to stock up at lower prices compared to frequently purchasing pre-milled flour.

How Do I Get Started?

1. Do Your Research: Learn about the benefits of whole grains. Don’t just take my word for it! There are so many informational books and trusted websites that are full of good information about whole grain flour. One source I highly recommend is Sue’s Healthy Minutes, a podcast dedicated to information and the health benefits of milling your own flour and baking your own bread. 
2. Choosing the Right Grain Mill: There are many options available. You can purchase a fairly inexpensive hand mill to get started, but I recommend investing in an electric mill as well. After my research, I settled on the Classic Grain Mill by Nutrimill. They were gracious enough to send me one at no cost and to provide me with a discount code to share that will save you $20 on the grain mill of your choice. Click here to shop with the discount. 
3. Buying Your Grains: Sourcing quality wheat berries is important. There are so many to choose from but I recommend choosing an organic hard red wheat and hard white wheat for making bread and a soft white wheat for pastries, cookies, cakes, etc. I source my wheat berries from Azure Standard. I place a bulk order of what I need and it’s delivered to my drop location each month. To shop Azure and find your closest drop location, click here. 

How to Mill Your Own Flour: Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Set up your grain mill.
Before you begin the milling process, I think it’s important to actually read the setup and information guide that comes with your grain mill. This is that little pamphlet that typically gets tossed in the trash but because you’ve made an investment, I would encourage you to read up and be informed about your new appliance. If you’ve purchased a Nutimill like mine, be sure to check out the setup video below. 

Step 2: Measure the right amount of wheat berries.
Wheat berries and the amount of flour they produce is not a 1:1 ratio. When milling your own flour, a general rule of thumb is that 1 cup of wheat berries will produce approximately 1 1/2 cups of flour. Or if you need 1 cup of flour, you will need to mill 2/3 cup of wheat berries. Since the entire grain is used, there’s minimal waste, and you get a higher yield compared to store-bought flour, which often undergoes processing and sifting. 

Step 3: Grind the grain to your desired consistency (fine or coarse).
When grinding wheat berries, you’ll notice a difference in the texture in comparison to store bought flour. There will be a noticeable graininess. Grinding your own grain allows you to control the texture of your flour by utilizing different settings on your grain mill. This is another reason why it’s important to read the instruction manual. 

Step 4: Use immediately for best results in baking.
Once the wheat berry is broken up during the milling process, flour begins to lose its nutrients. In order to maximize the nutritional benefits of freshly milled flour, it’s best to mill just before using it in your recipe.  If you’ve milled more fresh ground flour than needed, you can place it in an airtight container or freezer bag and store it in your freezer for up to 6 months. This will keep your flour from spoiling but note that it will lose nutrients rather quickly. 

Tips for Success When Milling Flour

• Start with small batches to get used to the process.
• Experiment with different grain varieties for unique flavors. One of our favorite grains is Khorasan or Kamut. It has a nutty flavor and is good in baked goods. 
• Keep your mill clean to ensure longevity and performance. I like to wipe mine out with a dry cloth or pastry brush after each use. 

Tools for Getting Started

I have 5 tools I recommend for getting started. The first three are essential and the last 2 will just make grinding fresh flour more convenient. 

1. A grain mill is the best option for milling grain. Some suggest a coffee grinder or food processor, but these tools weren’t designed for this task. They have a limited capacity and may overheat the grain causing a loss of nutrients. 
2. Wheat berries or wheat grains can sometimes be purchased at health food stores in small amounts but it’s much more cost-effective to buy them in bulk. Although they’re not a tool, they are a necessary part of having fresh-milled flour.
3. 5-gallon buckets for storing bulk grain are necessary to prevent wheat berries from becoming rancid by preserving their natural oils. If stored properly, they can be kept for a very long time. A standard 5-gallon bucket can hold approximately 30 to 35 pounds of wheat berries.
4. Small airtight containers for storing smaller amounts of grain in your pantry or on your counter. This just makes accessing a few cups of grains at a time more convenient. 
5. A pastry brush with natural bristles for cleaning your grain mill. Its soft, flexible bristles can easily reach into small crevices and hard-to-reach areas where flour and grain dust tend to accumulate.

​All of these tools can be found on my Amazon Storefront. 

Common Questions About Milling Flour

If you’re like me, you will have lots of questions swirling around your head as you begin your journey with homemade flour. I’ve answered a few of those questions below. 

• How long does freshly milled flour last? Freshly milled flour is best used immediately for maximum flavor and nutritional benefits. However, if kept in the refrigerator it can last for about 2 weeks and up to 6 months in the freezer. 
• Can I use freshly milled flour in any recipe? Yes! Due to the moisture content, you will likely need to make adjustments but you can absolutely use freshly milled flour anytime you would use store-bought flour. 
• What’s the best grain to start with? For bread making I would begin with a hard wheat. I keep hard red and hard white wheat on hand for all of my breads, including sourdough. For recipes such as muffins, cookies, and pancakes, soft wheat should be used to get the texture you’re used to with regular all-purpose flour or bread flour. 
• Do I need to sift the flour after milling? No! Skipping the sifting process ensures you retain all parts of the grain—bran, germ, and endosperm—providing the full nutritional benefits, including fiber and essential nutrients.

My best advice is to just get started! Once you’ve decided on a grain mill and purchased wheat berries, begin exploring recipes and trying different combinations of grains. Everything I’ve made has been edible and enjoyed but if not, toss it to the chickens and they can enjoy the amazing benefits of freshly milled flour! 

I’d love to hear from you and answer any questions you have in the comments below! Be sure to share this post with friends who might be interested in home milling.