Guide to the Best Grains for Fresh Milling at Home
Looking for the best grains for fresh milled flour at home? I’ve got you covered. I’ll show you what different grains look like and why you’ll love them.
If you are becoming a grain geek like me or if you’re even thinking about milling your own fresh ground flour, you’re already halfway down the rabbit hole—and trust me, it’s a wholesome place to be! It’s full of flavor, better nutrition, and that magical smell of fresh flour and baked goodies.
Milling your own grains isn’t just a fun kitchen hobby—it’s a lifestyle. You’ll have high-quality flour that’s bursting with flavor, packed with nutrients, and customizable for your family. Plus, it’s one of those things that makes you feel super proud. Like, yeah, I do grind my own whole wheat flour, and I know the difference between a hard and soft wheat. No biggie.
Let’s dive into the grains you can (and should!) be milling at home instead of buying store-bought flour. I’ll break down the ones I used most often, their flavor profiles, what they’re best for, and throw in some handy tips and personal favorites.
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Tools You’ll Need to Start Milling at Home
Before we go all out on grains, here’s what you need to get going on your own home-milled flour adventure. Then check out our Fresh Milled Flour 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Milling Grains.
- A Good Grain Mill – There are several types of mills. You can get an electric mill (fast and easy) like Mockmill, Nutrimill, or Wondermill, a KitchenAid attachment, or a manual stone mill (great for off-grid baking). Read about why I think the Mockmill 200 is the best grain mill.
- Digital Kitchen Scale: Measuring by weight gives you more consistent results than measuring by volume.
- Storage: Buy in bulk and keep extra whole wheat berries long term in an airtight container or f food grade bucket, only mill what you need when you need it. We buy large pet food containers, but you can also use 5-gallon buckets with gamma lids and add in desiccant packs to prevent moisture.
- Stand Mixer: A more powerful mixer may be needed for fresh milled breads as they are heftier and you don’t want to burn the motor out. If you can, invest in a professional KitchenAid Mixer (or other like Ankarsrum, Nutrimill Artiste, or Bosch), or Bread Machine like Zojirushi. Or if you want to use your hands, give those arms a workout!
Where Do I Buy Wheat Berries or Grain?
If you’re going to dive into the world of fresh milled flour, you’ll need a good stash of wheat berries—those little powerhouses of flavor, nutrition, and baking magic. But where do you find high-quality wheat berries? There are more and more places offering whole grains, but here are a few of my favs:
- Mockmill has a great variety to start you in your milling journey
- Azure Standard has great local pickups, so you don’t have to pay crazy shipping prices
- Central Milling is a great brand with lots of choices
- Farmer’s Storehouse has a big variety and free shipping over $80!
- Country Life Foods has a great variety
- Amazon even has a variety of wheat berries available
- Local Health Food Stores & Co-ops
- Amish & Mennonite Grocery Store: They often sell in bulk at great prices!
Grains for Fresh Milling
While I use many different types of grains, my favorites to always have on hand are Hard White, Soft White, and Kamut. I use these the most often in my bread, sourdough, and quick bread recipes.
Hard Wheats (For Yeasted Breads & Hearty Bakes)
These varieties are the best wheat for bread as they have a higher gluten content, which provides structure for rising and fermenting.
Hard Red Wheat
Bold, nutty, slightly bitter. This is the OG wheat with rich flavor and a sturdy backbone for your bread. It’s what you want for crusty artisan loaves, sandwich bread, and anything you need that chewy, satisfying texture.
- Best for: Sourdough, yeast breads, bagels
- Flavor: Deep, hearty, full-wheat taste
- Pro Tip: Try blending it with a little white wheat to mellow the flavor without losing structure.
Hard White Wheat
All the gluten power of red wheat, but with a gentler, milder taste and a lighter color. It’s my go-to when I want to use whole grains in loaves or rolls without that “whole wheat” taste.
- Best for: Sandwich bread, dinner rolls, tortillas
- Flavor: Mild, slightly sweet
- Pro Tip: Great starter grain for fresh milling newbies, buy this one first!
Durum Wheat
A hard wheat with both a high protein and gluten content and a nice amber color. Often used as semolina flour.
- Best for: Pasta, pizza, couscous
- Flavor: Nutty, mildly sweet
- Pro Tip: Try using durum mixed with hard white wheat berries for a chewy pizza dough.
Soft Wheats (For Pastries & Delicate Baking)
Soft White Wheat
Low in protein but high in charm, soft white wheat is perfect for tender baked goods. It mills into a flour that’s perfect for pastries.
- Best for: Biscuits, scones, cookies, cakes, and muffins
- Flavor: Light, sweet, neutral
- Pro Tip: Combine with a bit of hard wheat for structure if needed.
Ancient Grains & Gluten-Free Grain
Spelt
An ancient grain with a nutty flavor and slightly sweet edge. It’s easier to digest for some folks and behaves a lot like wheat, but with more personality.
- Best for: Rustic bread, pancakes, cookies
- Flavor: Mild, nutty
- Pro Tip: Spelt dough is more delicate with less gluten than wheat—don’t over-knead.
Einkorn
Tiny grain, huge flavor. Einkorn is buttery, sweet, and high in protein (but not super high in gluten). It can be a little trickier to work with, but totally worth trying.
- Best for: Cookies, pancakes, pastries
- Flavor: Buttery, rich, slightly sweet
- Pro Tip: Hydration is key—einkorn needs less water than modern wheat and less kneading.
Rye
If you love that deep, earthy flavor in rye bread, this one’s for you. Rye has less glutenin, so it won’t rise like wheat, but it shines in sourdough or hearty loaves.
- Best for: Rye bread, crackers, sourdough blends
- Flavor: Earthy, tangy, dark
- Pro Tip: Mix with wheat flour for more rise, and try coffee as the liquid for a deeper flavor.
Kamut (Khorasan Wheat)
A variety of khorasan, these big golden grains give you a soft, buttery flavor.
- Best for: Pasta, sandwich loaves, sweet rolls
- Flavor: Buttery, smooth, rich
- Pro Tip: Works great blended with white wheat. When substituting for regular wheat flour you may need a bit less.
Barley
Soft and subtly sweet, barley isn’t great for rising but adds great flavor and tenderness to baked goods.
- Best for: Muffins, cookies, flatbreads
- Flavor: Mild, slightly sweet, nutty
- Pro Tip: Mix with hard wheat for structure and a nice flavor profile.
Oats (Whole Groats)
Yes, you can mill oats! Fresh oat flour is sweet and soft. Just make sure you’re using whole oat groats, not rolled or instant oats.
- Best for: Pancakes, muffins, cookies, baby food
- Flavor: Sweet, creamy
- Pro Tip: Great binder for gluten-free mixes or meatballs!
Buckwheat
Despite the name, buckwheat isn’t wheat at all. It has a strong, earthy flavor and is a staple in gluten-free baking.
- Best for: Pancakes, crepes, waffles
- Flavor: Rich, earthy, nutty
- Pro Tip: Mix with neutral grains if the flavor’s too bold.
Quinoa
High in protein and naturally gluten-free, quinoa has a nutty flavor, but can be a little bitter.
- Best for: GF flour mixes, protein-packed bakes
- Flavor: Nutty, grassy
- Pro Tip: Use as part of a mixed grain flour.
Corn (Dried Dent Corn NOT Popcorn)
If you love homemade cornbread or tortillas, fresh milled corn is a flavor bomb. Sweet, rustic, and comforting.
- Best for: Cornbread, tortillas, polenta, grits
- Flavor: Sweet, robust
- Pro Tip: Use a strong mill, not all can handle it—corn is tough!
Rice (White – I like to use Basmati)
Great gluten-free base flour with a light and neutral taste.
- Best for: GF blends, tempura batter, cookies, dusting counter
- Flavor: Mild to nutty
- Pro Tip: Run some rice through your mill to easily clean the stones every few weeks!
Tips for Fresh Milled Grains
When you first begin the milling process, I recommend to start with hard white wheat for the best introduction to whole wheat bread. If you are brand new, you may also want to start with 50/50 blends of fresh milled and store bought AP flour to get a feel for it. You can try our Half Whole Wheat Bread Sourdough Recipe as a first recipe.
Keep a Baking Journal: Yes, it’s nerdy, but super helpful). Jot down how much liquid you used, how the dough felt, how it baked up. You’ll start spotting patterns quickly.
FMF (fresh milled flour) Absorbs More Liquid: Hydration will vary between grains—fresh flour absorbs more liquid, so keep an eye on texture! You may need to increase water or milk in your recipe slightly (5-10%) if you using a normal recipe – I always recommend starting with fresh milled flour recipes before trying to adjust your own.
Autolyse: Always mix fresh milled flour and liquid and let it rest before adding the other ingredients when you make bread! It needs this time to help the bran hydrate and gluten form. I try to do 30-60 minutes minimum. Even with muffins and pancakes, I like to let the batter rest at least 5-10 minutes before baking.
Structure: Fresh milled flour behaves differently in dough than AP flour. You might find recipes turn out a bit stickier or denser than you’re used to—but don’t panic. It’s just the flour doing what it was designed to do: hearty breads nourishing you! You’ll also be able to tweak as you learn more. Preferments or starters like Sourdough, Yudane, Tang Zhong, Poolish, or Biga can also help create more structure, flavor, and softer breads.
Try some of our favorite recipes like Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies, Easy Dinner Rolls Crescent Rolls, Hawaiian Rolls, or Muffins.
Experiment with fresh milling different types of grain for fresh whole grain flour. Whether you’re into sourdough, muffins, or just want flour that actually tastes like something, home milling is for you.
So grab a cup of wheat berries, fire up your mill, and get ready to impress. Let me know your favorite grains to mill!
FAQs About Fresh Milled Grains
It can be, especially when buying in bulk. Plus, it’s hard to put a price on fresh, flavorful flour. There may be up front costs to get started like purchasing a mill.
No, in fact to retain all the nutriments it needs to be used right away.
Hard white wheat for yeasted breads and soft white wheat for cookies and quick breads. Mild flavors and super versatile.
Yes, but make sure your mill can handle them (some cannot). Chickpea flour is great in savory recipes!
So informational! Thank you for all the details