Flour Power: A Guide To Modern Home Grain Milling
Product Description
The only book written on modern home grain milling. This book manages to present a technical topic in a fascinating and entertaining way. Unusually detailed and littered with historical tidbits. Includes mill selection criteria, an education on bread wheats, secrets for making deliciously light whole meal breads, and purchasing contacts for dozens of grain mills, plus oat rollers and bread wheats…. More >>
Flour Power: A Guide To Modern Home Grain Milling
I’m a bread-baking microbiologist with a different take on this book. One reviewer thought it had too much info but I think when an author examines a topic microscopically – without leaving a
who-what-where-when-why question about any aspect – the reader can’t lose. And even if you happened to decide milling wasn’t for you (a possibility another reviewer speculated about), the book is still a treasure trove of tidbits, details, history and how-to’s that make for satisfying reading on a hot-tea evening.
Once I got my mill (I took one of the “quick-pick” options the author provided.) and some good high-protein wheat (I’m lucky to have the legendary Bob’s Red Mill within driving distance.), it
was surprisingly easy to get bread without a hassle every three days or so. Although the bread machine makes a crust slightly thicker than I like, the rest of the bread is incredible and it’s truly a time-saver. As the author of this book stresses, it’s not the milling that takes time, it’s the bread making.
Another book I recommend to real gourmet bakers (the kind who wouldn’t stoop to a bread machine) for some delicious and heart-healthy ways to use home-milled grains is “Mediterranean
Grains and Greens” by Paula Wolfert. Similarly well written and detailed, it provides a tantalizing glimpse of a whole new realm of possibilities for using whole grains (and greens).
This book is really a winner. The author obviously writes from experience, but she also provides source information to back up her “facts” (which are otherwise just author assertions, in my opinion). Because I’d done what I thought was extensive research on grain mills before I stumbled onto this book, I was a bit disgruntled about how much very important stuff I’d missed. For example, I’d been repeatedly cautioned about keeping milling temperatures “low” without a clue to what temperatures we were talking about. This author explained exactly what damage was done to which components at what temperatures, what the damage was and what authority had said so — now that’s the kind of detail I like.
I was also mezmerized by the information on wheats, amused by what another reviewer complained about as the mundane details of handling and storing grains (all new to me…), and encouraged and inspired by the prospect of actually liking the switch to whole-grains that a recent heart attack had mandated for me. In short, this book is informative, well written, well documented and a lot of fun to read.
My wife read this book and was so excited about making bread at home, that I had to read the book myself to see what all the ruckus was about. I’ll have to admit that before I opened the book, I thought that milling raw wheat and making bread was something reminiscent of the “foxfire” series of do-it-yourself books. Was I ever wrong. The book is at once engaging and entertaining. Ms. Basey’s research is heads above any I’ve read. Her knowledge of grain mills, proteins, glutens, natural vitamins and minerals is amazing. Her practical bread-making technique and application is easy to follow and even a tough guy like me can make great bread. I’m not talking bread like some make from a pre-mixed bag of flour bought at the local market. I’m talking the bread that fills the house with that fresh baked smell one never forgets. The kind that causes you to drool waitng for the baking cycle to finish. The kind that begs for fresh butter and a hungry mouth. Thanks for this wonderful resource and congrats on creating the best book of it’s kind since sliced bread !!! Pardon the pun, I couldn’t resist.
My Magic Mill mixer has an optional grain grinder, and I’ve been curious about the idea of grinding my own flour. Yet, I know (with vast experience) that sometimes the add-on gizmos are junk; if you want to do the job right, buy the right tool. So I bought this book when I was buying other parts, and I needed to fill out the order to get free shipping.
I’m glad that I got the book, because it did help me make a decision. Perhaps the best part of this book is a chapter that enumerates grain mill sources (including Internet URLs) and evaluates each mill available. For instance, my add-on is described as having (among other attributes) “flour texture adequate but not superfine; offers many attachments including oat flaker, grater that handles nuts, and meat grinder that makes peanut butter.”
So, if you’re looking for help in making a decision about investing money in a grain mill, this book definitely will help. In my case, it saved me money. Now that I know the process of grinding, etc., I realize I probably won’t bother with the attachment (at least not until my kitchen remodel is done and I have more storage space).
However, the book has a lot more information, which you may welcome or, like me, find a bit “much.” The author spends several chapters explaining how grain is milled nowadays, the virtues of fiber, and an analysis of all the great nutrients to be found in whole grain bread. With *great* detail, but no pictures. I’ve been a health-food person for 20+ years; while she did a good job of imparting the information, there was little I didn’t know and hey, I was sold on this stuff long ago. (If we don’t make our own multi-grain bread, we buy it at a whole foods market.)
In addition to its health benefits, the author gives “self sufficiency” as another primary reason to mill your own grain. If this is something that’s important to you, you probably already know it. For me, that’s a ho-hum point. I already did my time living on an island off the coast of Maine, learning how to cook on a 100+-year-old wood stove. Its charm wore off after the tenth load of wood I had to bring in. I’m all for self-sufficiency, as long as I don’t have to work up a sweat.
Anyway, the strength of this book is very much in the last half of the book, which explains how to choose a mill (electric? hand-cranked? a community mill?), the classes of wheat (I learned quite a bit in this section), and other grist for your mill (such as quinoa or rye). She even discusses the mundane details of how to store grain and deal with pests. There’s a few recipes, but these are mainly guides for people new to whole-grain cooking.
The problem is an overload of information. I didn’t need three or four chapters to explain why squishy white bread is bad and why fresh grain is better. If you’re considering this book, you probably don’t, either. Even though the information is well-intended and the author clearly believes what she’s talking about, after a while, the explanations begin to sound like lectures (“Okay, mom, I HEAR YOU!”). I found it off-putting. The book could easily have been a (5 star) 75-page pamphlet instead of a 262 page book, and sell for a list price of $10 instead of $15.
But if you’re interested in milling your own whole grain, don’t let my criticisms stop you. I got exactly the information I needed, and I expect you will, too.
I have been milling grain at home since the 70’s. I didn’t purchase this book with the thought that every page would be new information for me. Unlike a prior reviewer, how is an author to know how much information is enough or too much for each reader? I would prefer too much information; I can filter out what I know quite easily. This is an excellent primer for someone interested in, or just starting out in, whole grain work. I wish we’d had something like this back in the early seventies!
I have an employee who has approached me, interested in doing her own whole grain work. This was the book I have loaned her. Unlike a prior reviewer, please understand that this is not a cookbook in the conventional sense. It’s more like a food science book on a specific field.
I am delighted to have this informative and well-written reference book on my shelf.