The auger drive that guides the grain into the grinding burrs is made out of a composite alloy that does have some aluminum in it. The reason this composite alloy was chosen is for its strength, durability, and the fact that it can be cast into a light, yet super strong corrosion resistant drive with no risk of food contamination. The grinding process of the mill takes place in the stone or stainless steel burr grinding plates (whichever are being used at the time), not in the auger drive. Because of this, there is no transfer of any alloy or aluminum from the auger drive to the food. The auger drive is magnetic attractive which shows there is very little aluminum in the alloy. Also since any aluminum transfer requires a heat or chemical reaction, even this slight amount would never be transferred into the flour since the grinding action comes after the grain passes through the auger drive area and into the stone / stainless steel grinding chamber. Because of this there is no measurable transfer of any alloy or aluminum from the auger drive to the food. The chance of getting aluminum into your body from using this mill would be less than simply touching a soda can or a public stair case railing or opening the door of your car.

Take for example, a typical soda can. There, the acidic drink sits in contact with a can made of almost entirely of aluminum (not a small percentage like the auger). It remains in contact with the aluminum for days, weeks, months, or even years. Even then, the evidence of contamination from aluminum is not overwhelming. Now compare that with the auger. Your dry grains come in contact with the mill seconds before they are ground. At the most, the grain touches the auger for a few minutes as you give your arms a break from grinding the last 10 cups of flour. There is no heat buildup around the auger, and there are no chemical reactions going on while your wheat momentarily touches the auger.

Likewise, the main body, also made from aluminum on the Wonder Junior, is not a concern since it is coated with a food grade enamel. However, even if it were to chip, it would be no different than the auger. The grains only rest in the hopper for seconds and move on through.

So, in a nutshell, there’s really nothing to be concerned about. Relax, enjoy your bread, and feel great knowing that you produced a healthy, all natural loaf of bread, better than anything you’ll ever find in a store!

Wonder Junior Auger - New

The Wonder Junior Hand Grain Mill allows folks to grind pretty much anything. Some things grind very well (like grain and coffee). Other things may not work so well. We want to hear from you, whether a regular reader or just a passer-by. If you own a Wonder Junior, please let us know how it works. Your feedback will be very beneficial for two reasons.

1. It will allow us to work with the manufacturer to better design components.
2. It will allow others to know if this mill works for what they intend to use it for.

We can’t test everything here, but we’d love to hear from you on what you’ve tried.

The grain itself is produced predominantly in India and Africa and because it is so drought tolerant, has become a staple food in these regions. You can grind it into a flour to make flatbreads, you can brew it into beers, or cook it and make it into a porridge.

Millet has many of the same nutritional properties as wheat.  However, millet is gluten free, so those with coeliac should have no problems with this wheat alternative.  Because of this, you cannot make a typical bread unless you combine with other gluten products, but it does make an excellent flatbread.  It is very high in vitamin B17 which makes it an excellent choice for fighting and preventing cancer.

To cook it, add a small amount of oil to your pot.  Add the millet and gently “toast” the grain, being careful not to burn.  Using roughly equal amounts of water to millet, add water, cover, and cook about 20 minutes or until the water has absorbed.

You can purchase millet at your local farmer’s market or health food store.  Or, let us know, and we’d be happy to ship you a bag of any size.  Questions?  Leave us a comment!

Before you begin, you may want to know that sprouted wheat berries can be ground wet in a Vita-Mix or you can dehydrate them. (FYI – dried, sprouted wheat berries, when coarsely ground, are called “bulgur” which is what is used to make “tabouli”, the Middle Eastern dish). When the grain is wet, you will need a heavy duty blender, such as a Vita-Mix. Even then, you can only grind about 1 to 1-1/2 cups at a time because it is so sticky. If using a Vita-Mix, be sure to use the tamper to help it to circulate. If you find that it is clogging, you can also add about 1/2 cup water to make it less dense and then add a little flour to your final mixture to make it the right consistency.  To dry the berries, spread them out thin on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. I’ve found this helps to keep them from getting too hot on the bottom, but if you don’t have any, use stainless steel or stoneware. Set your oven to it’s lowest setting and let them dry for about 8 hours or until dry. Once dry, let them cool and then put in the refrigerator. Mason jars work well for this. You can also grind them to make flour.

Here’s a simple recipe to make Sprouted Wheat Bread.  As with any recipe, make adjustments to suit the tastes of your family.  For example, you may want to add dried fruit or nuts. See below for some ideas.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Wheat Berries
• 2 cups Filtered water
• 1 teaspoon baker’s yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 cup honey, agave nectar or maple syrup
• 1/2 cup dried fruit and/or nuts
• butter
• bulgur flour (if needed)

Instructions:

Wheat berries, just like any other seed, need a moist environment to germinate for a few days. However, you have to rinse them often so they will stay fresh. To begin, put the wheat in a quart-sized mason jar and cover with water. Cover with cheese cloth and secure with a rubber band. Rinse 2-3 times per day by turning upside down and then refilling with water over the cloth. Within about 1-1/2 to 2 days, they will begin to sprout. You will notice small white spots at the end of the berry.  Drain most of the water.  Put 1/2 of the berries in the Vita-Mix.  Turn on high and use the tamper to push down the berries.  After they are blended, repeat with the second batch.  In a bowl, combine honey and 1/2 cup warm water and yeast.  When it gets bubbly, add the ground berries.  Mix together and add the flavoring.*   Add enough flour to knead it into a loaf (bulgur flour is preferred)  Place in a buttered non-aluminum and non-Teflon pan such as glass or stoneware.  Let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes or until expanded in size.  Place in a preheated oven of 350 degrees and bake for 40 minutes or until done.  Let cool on rack before slicing.  Store in the fridge.

*Try any one of these 5 flavorings below:

• 1/2 cup dates and 1 tablespoon anise seed
• 1/2 cup carrots, handful of nuts, dash of nutmeg
• 1/2 cup raisins and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup dried cherries and 2 tablespoons orange peel
• 3 Tablespoons poppy seeds and 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Also, there are many other seeds/grains that can be sprouted such as millet, quinoa, lentils, barley, spelt and others.  For an overview on sprouting, you may also want to read this online article http://chetday.com/sprouts.htm

Question: OK, so I’ve been reading A LOT about sourdough, and I have a beginner’s understanding of the chemistry behind it and why it is more nutritious to eat bread leavened in this way. Could you give me a brief explanation of what my different options are for bread, besides sourdough? I saw a recipe online for bread using sprouted wheat berries, for example, but am still a little unclear.

Answer: Yes, sprouted wheat is another way…but, it can be a bit tricky to make a bread loaf with. I’ve made both bread and crackers. It tends to be very dense. In fact, some companies use bakers yeast in it to make it lighter. Even then, though, it is still considered heavy compared to what most people are used to. I’ve also made fruit loafs, similar to “Manna” loafs sold commercially.

Wheat berries, just like any other seed, needs a moist environment to germinate for a few days. However, you have to rinse them often so that they will stay fresh. To begin, put about 1 cup in a mason jar and cover with water. Cover with cheese cloth and secure with a rubber band. Rinse 2-3 times per day by turning upside down and then refilling with water over the cloth. Within about three days, they will begin to sprout. You will notice small white sprouts at the end of the berry. Then, you can either use them to make sprouted wheat bread or you can dehydrate the berries in a warm oven and store in the refrigerator for future use .

Aside from quick rise breads that use baking soda or powder, you are left with yeast, yeast, or yeast. Yeast that is “baker’s yeast” is merely a single-strain type on steroids. Is is used for speed and consistency, but, as you know, not for health. Otherwise, you can catch yeast from the air (God’s invisible little workers) or from an organic substance such as grapes (or other fruit). Nancy Silverton, of La Brea Bakery, makes her signature bread using such. She is only one of three large commercial bakeries that produces all naturally leavened bread. Using that approach, I used the bottom “yeast” of kefir grape juice (kefir culture in 100% grape juice to ferment it into champagne, then wine) to leaven a wheat loaf, and had good success. You can catch your own strain or buy one from someone else. As you can imagine, you can get extremely different results depending on the type of wild yeast!

And, of course, you can use bacteria such as acidophilus to leaven bread, like the Indian bread “Naan”.

Whichever method you choose, the key is to make sure that you are either soaking or fermenting the grain for at least 8 hours in a mildly acidic solution (e.g. – kefir, yogurt, diluted lemon juice, sourdough starter, etc.)

1. Buy a starter (cost of a stamped envelope) from Carl Griffith online or Northwest Sourdough

2. Read and Reread www.northwestsourdough.com. I found her instructions to be the least intimidating and easy for a new-comer to follow

3. La Cloche Brick Oven, made by Sassafras, bought from Amazon.com (see side link) has been helpful for me to get the correct heat ratio in the oven. Or, I’ve heard some people use “quarry” tiles on the bottom of their oven, along with a using a spray bottle of water for steam. The tiles can be bought from The Home Depot and cut to fit the bottom of your oven. The purpose of these is to achieve good heat retention in the oven.

4. Round basket/colander or something to hold the dough while it rises along with a tea towel or linen cloth. You will then sprinkle it with a ratio of 1/4 rice flour and 3/4 rye flour (or whole wheat).

5. Wooden pizza peel (or something to remove the hot loaf from the oven).

6. Organic hard red winter wheat berries (or whichever variety you prefer).

The important thing is to make sure that you have all of the right equipment out and accessible. It’s not fun to bake if you have to spend a lot of time finding all of the right tools! I keep my WonderMill on the counter top along with my starter (so that I don’t forget to feed it everyday).

Also, I purchased some books online from Peter Reinhart (a baker/teacher):

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread
Peter Reinhart’s Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor

I wouldn’t say this is necessary, I just wanted more of a professional approach. I have found that almost all of the “health food” recipes for sourdough have been heavy as bricks and sour as lemons. No matter how healthy it is, if it doesn’t taste incredible, why eat it??

Once I had all of the right tools, I began to feed my starter. When it was ready, I began making a 1 1/2 -2 pound loaf per day for about 3-4 months. This helped me to learn about sourdough variables: temperature, texture, taste, oven spring, etc. I used “Better for Bread” brand unbleached white flour. After I got that down, and the bread was irresistible, I began adding a cup at a time of whole wheat (in the beginning, you may want to use store bought in case you end up throwing it away). Once I mastered that, I’d add one more cup. A week later 3 cups (about 2 cups white, 3 whole wheat). I was then able to make all wheat; however, I found that I like at least 1-2 cups of white (not for health, just taste). I found that the routine would only take about 15 minutes a day (as long as everything was out) and about 30 minutes of baking. Also, I would vary the proofing/cooking times in order to make 2 loaves per day if needed. In addition, after the first proof, I began to experiment with different fillings such as: date and anise seed, sausage, Parmesan and fresh basil, sun dried tomatoes, etc….

STEPS FOR BAKING A LOAF OF BREAD:

1. Add 1 cup water + 1 cup flour to the starter the night before you plan to bake*

2. Around 2-3 pm, add 1 1/2 cups of starter, 2 cups non-chlorinated water, 3 cups freshly ground whole wheat flour, and 2 cups unbleached bread flour (such as Better for Bread brand) Note: If you are just learning, replace the wheat with white flour.

3. Mix in Kitchen Aid, or knead by hand. This has a three-fold purpose: to hydrate, stretch the gluten, and distribute fermentation. Dough should be slightly sticky, but not wet. Be sure to knead it long enough so that you see it beginning to stretch the dough and form a ball. It should look soft.

4. Let rest for 20 minutes.

5. Knead briefly to see if it needs any more flour or water. You will find that when working with whole wheat, it tends to absorb water at a slower pace than white. And, it may need a little more water, or it may be just right.

6. Cover with food grade plastic or a damp towel and set aside to rise for 4 hours or until it is doubled. How long it ferments will help to determine how mild or sour it is. I prefer mine to be mild, so I am sure not to let it go much past this point.

7. Gently punch down and add 2 tsp. finely ground moist gray sea salt. Distribute while gently kneading. If possible, try to retain some of the existing air pockets. Shape the loaf into a fine loaf, tucking the bottom under with the palms of your hands to gain height of loaf. Note: This is the point also that you may wish to add any other ingredients or you may want to make different shapes of dough, such as a baguette.

8. Let rest for 5 minutes and further shape without flattening again. You just want to use gentle motions to add height. The gluten will soften slightly and better hold the shape you desire.

9. In a colander or proofing basket lined with a tea towel or linen cloth, sprinkle a few tablespoons of flour to prevent sticking (for best results, use 1/4 rice and 3/4 rye put through the “course” setting of your WonderMill grain mill), then gently place the loaf in the basket. Drape the ends of the towel over the dough and place colander in a plastic bag. Tie the bag loosely (be sure to leave room for the dough to expand). The plastic will prevent unwanted moisture loss.

10. Place bag in refrigerator overnight. **

11. At 6 am, or when you first get up, remove dough and open the plastic and the towel. (If your towel sticks, you may add a small amount of water to it. Never pull it off as you will flatten to top air pockets). Let it warm up for about 2-3 hours (or as long as you can wait : >)

12. 1 hour before you are ready to bake, place La Cloche in the oven and preheat at 450-500 degrees (450 for white flour, 500 degrees for wheat)

13. Just before you are ready to bake, invert the colander of dough onto a floured (rice/rye mixture again) pizza peel. Quickly and precisely score the loaf in an “X” or whatever design you wish. Be sure that your knife is sharp or you will flatten your air pockets. Or, you may wish to buy a bread scorer.

14. Immediately, open the oven. With a high temperature oven mitt, remove the top of the clay baker. Quickly slide the loaf into the baker and cover with the hot top. Close the oven.

15. Bake for about 30-35 minutes.

16. Once done, remove the bread (I leave the clay in the oven to cool down slowly to avoid cracking) and place bread on a cooling rack so that air can circulate under as well. Now, here’s the hard part…let it cool for at least three hours or longer. The baking process actually continues as it cools down even though it is not in the oven any more. If you cut too soon, it will appear “gummy” or sticky and you will loose some of the desired air pockets.

17. Slice and enjoy with lots of raw butter and/or honey or arrowroot fruit jam.

18. Repeat…Repeat…Repeat.

At first it may seem strange and cumbersome, but in time, you will form a rhythm that feels natural and your family and friends will love the bread!

Another note of encouragement…I have had MANY “bad” batches of dough (as my husband can attest to!) There have been bricks that would have made better bombs than food. But, like any art, it’s worth the effort to persevere. Remember, people have been making bread for over 4,000 years, and even today bakers are learning new things with the advent of refrigeration and climate control. If you are like most people, it may take some time. Stay with it and you will be rewarded!

*A note on keeping fresh starter: Starter can be keep in the fridge or the counter. You will want to feed it once or twice per week if it’s in the fridge. If it’s on the counter top, once a day will do, or even twice (if the temperature is warm..say, above 74 degrees..) It is alive and it will get sour if it goes too long without food. If this happens, simply discard all but a 1/2 cup and start adding flour and water again. I usually add 1 cup water and 1 cup flour to feed it.

** You can also make this in 8 hours, skipping the overnight fermentation. Just follow steps 1-9, then leave out for 4 hours on the counter top, then proceed to step 11. The taste will not be as developed, but it will still be good!

A. Store bought whole wheat bread
B. Store bought whole grain bread
C. Store bought 100% whole wheat bread
D. Homemade 100% organic whole wheat bread
E. Homemade 100% whole wheat bread made with freshly ground organic wheat berries
F. None of the above

Answer: F

Although “homemade 100% whole wheat bread made with freshly ground organic wheat berries” may seem like the best idea (it certainly is the most time intensive) it is however, very difficult to digest (as are the others too).  The rapid fermentation, via baker’s yeast, does not break down the phyic acid in the bran, thus creating a lack of mineral absorption.  The only way to ensure that the bread you eat is good for you is to follow these guidelines:

A. Grain is organic
B. Grain is soaked or fermented
C. Grain is freshly ground with a grinder
D. Leaven (yeast) is multi-strain and naturally occurring (such as a sourdough starter)

If you would like to know how to make this kind of bread, please contact me and I can walk you through it step by step.