The hardest part of bread baking has got to be the milling of the wheat berries. We purchased a very nice grain mill a few years ago and originally had it bolted down to a butcher block. After about an hour of on and off cranking by hand.... you could start the bread baking process. There had to be an easier way, and after a handful of different designs had been tried I came up with this system. I found the exercise bike at the recycling center. The trickiest part was getting the gear reduction just right. Now I pedal for about 4-5 minutes to get my 6 cups of whole wheat flour.
The hopper is just the right size... 1 fill up gives me that 6 cups of flour. And when I'm done, I put on a home fabricated copper lid to keep the vermin out of my grain hopper.
I usually bake bread just once a week-2 loaves. I put one in the freezer till the first is gone. This week, since we'll be home for the holiday, I made one a cinnamon & sugar loaf. You just can't get bread like this at the grocery store. Pop a slice of this in the toaster and lay on some Cabot butter and....WOW!
Now that's ingenuous. I still have my Corona mill that I bought in the 70's (for 17.99 if I remember right). The wheat had to be ground and re-ground several times before it was good enough to use for bread. I finally gave up and bought my flour through the food co-op. With 4 growing boys and a husband, it took too much time to try to make the 8 loaves a week we needed.
ReplyDeleteI am liking your blog so far. I hope you keep writing. The ice on the chicken wire is a stunning pic. We had an ice storm 5 years ago--beautiful and terrible. The forests still show signs of it, with mis-shapen trees and deadfalls everywhere. We are still clearing some of the trees and using them for firewood.
Do check out citymousecountryhouse.blogspot.com when you get a chance. Adirondack/NYC folks who are planning a move soon.
Granny Sue
Thanks for the comment Granny, Your my first contact in the cyber world! I'm still augmenting the blog and have changed the title. I hope you can still find me. Yankeeburner was the name of my heating business... had to retire a little early due to bad knees. Folks looked at me funny when they heard 'Yankeeburner'.
ReplyDeleteMary & I are looking for land in Vermont, as the soil here is terrible...but I'm hoping to spend more time writing this winter. Your blog is on my daily reading list. I enjoy all of your photography, and your family is something else! I'm one of only two kids, with only one distant cousin...sure wish I had a big family sometimes. Thanks again, I'll be seeing you. Dan
Hey Dan, we have the same grain mill. Would you want to share your bread recipe?
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