Practical guide · how to use fresh milled flour

Fresh-milled flour workflow

A calm sequence from grain selection to milling, resting and baking.

Mill for the recipe in front of you

Weigh the berries needed for the batch and inspect them before milling. Small, current batches reduce storage time for flour and make it easier to repeat successful settings.

Watch hydration, not just the clock

Fresh whole-grain flour may absorb water differently as bran and germ hydrate. Hold back a little liquid, mix, rest the dough and adjust by feel rather than forcing a bagged-flour formula unchanged.

Record the variables

Note grain variety, mill setting, flour temperature, hydration and proof time. A short baking log is more useful than treating every fresh-milled result as a property of the machine alone.