!! Flour Freshness May Improve Nutrition From Your Bread

Most of us like the convenience of getting our flour from grocery stores. But did you know that unless that flour is whole wheat, nearly 30% of the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients have been stipped off?

“Why,” do you ask? Suppliers need to keep flour “fresh” for shipping and warehousing for stores. To do that natural oils are removed, along with the bran and the germ. “The bran is the fiber-rich outer layer that supplies B vitamins, iron, copper, zinc, magnesium, antioxidants, and phytochemicals,” reports The Nutrition Source, “Whole Grains,” Harvard School of Public Health. They continue, “The germ is the core of the seed where growth occurs; it is rich in healthy fats, vitamin E, B vitamins, phytochemicals, and antioxidants.

In Martha’s blog, YourSourdoughStart.com, She says that since there is very little moisture in the wheat berries, they seldom spoil. But the nice thing is that wheat berries, by design,  are programmed to deliver protein, starch (sugar), vitamins, and minerals to anyone (or any animal) that consumes them.  Concluding, Martha explains, “most whole grain is stable until it is milled, but it is at that moment the maximum nutrition is released.”

She also encourages home bakers to mill their own grain at home to get “the full benefit of germ, bran, endosperm (the starchy part of wheat kernels), and all the vitamins and minerals that go with it.” But if you do not mill your flour at home, you may find Abigail’s Oven Whole Grain Flour in 50 lb bags the best alternative. 

Stop by The Store at the Bakery to get your supply at 421 South 200 East in Spanish Fork, Utah. We are open Mon 12:00 PM-5:00 PM, Tue 9:00 AM-5:00 PM, and  Wed-Fri 10:00 AM-5:00 PM.

You can read more on this subject at YourSourdoughStart.com:

• Flour Freshness May Improve Nutrition From Your Bread
• “REAL 7” of Sourdough—Real Wheat
• Real Nutrition—The Third in the “Real 7” of Sourdough Bread
• 7 Benefits From Eating Sourdough Bread