Grains

• Know your wheat! Hard, soft, and durum wheat are all used differently.grain and flour image by Madera from Fotolia.com
  
  Know the protein and gluten content of your home milled grains to achieve the right bread rise and texture. Gluten traps the carbon dioxide given off by the fermenting yeast, causing the dough to expand and stretch. Mixing different types of grain flours can change the gluten content. Gluten should be added to flours that contain less than 16 percent protein. Add 1 tablespoon of gluten per 1 cup of wheat flour; too much will make the bread tough and rubbery.
  
  Sift your freshly milled flours through a fine sieve to remove the germ and bran before mixing to prevent improper rising. To make 100 percent whole grain breads, the germ and bran should be incorporated back into the mixture right before kneading.
  
  Higher whole grain moisture content and the humidity absorbed in stored, home milled flour can make the dough sticky. Grains should be milled as needed and stored in air-tight containers. To prevent the dough from sticking to your hands and utensils rub a small amount of cooking oil on them. In humid months, using a little less liquid in your recipes may result in dough that is not so sticky. Avoid adding extra flour to your bread dough for it will make your loaves heavy and dry.
  
  

Yeast and Creating a Sponge

• Yeast sponges preserve guarded strains of yeast indefinitely.bread image by Marek Kosmal from Fotolia.com
  
  Grains that are milled right after harvest have a higher sugar content, which causes dough to rise quickly. Dough that rises slower and longer by using a yeast sponge develops a lighter taste and a finer texture. Sponge mixtures are created by combining yeast, water and flour and allowing the mixture to rise in a warm place. A good yeast-boosted sponge can be made with 1 package of dry yeast, 2 1/2 cups of warm water, 2 tablespoons of honey, and 2 1/2 cups of sifted fresh ground flour. Combine the ingredients in a quart jar with a tight-fitting cover and let the mixture ferment in a warm place for 5 days, stirring daily. Store the mixture in the refrigerator after the 5 days. Remove the needed portion of the sponge to make your bread and replenish the sponge with water and sifted flour in equal portions
  
  

Liquids

• Orange juice aid the gluten bonds within the dough of home milled breads.orange, , orange juice image by Greg Pickens from Fotolia.com
  
  Enhance the texture and taste of home milled whole grain breads with liquids such as orange juice, potato water, milk, or oil.
  
  One tablespoon of orange juice per loaf will promote the acidic atmosphere in which yeast grows best enabling it to work longer and faster.
  
  The reserved liquid after boiling potatoes gives whole grain bread greater volume and a coarser texture while adding moistness to the loaf. Potato water should total no more than half the liquid in the recipe.
  
  Adding milk to home milled wheat dough will add protein while adding height to the rise of the loaf. Regular milk will cause home milled white grain bread to toast more evenly and quickly. Buttermilk ensures a more tender 100 percent whole grain dough while adding flavor. All milk, except canned, should be scalded to kill the enzymes that interfere with the activity of the yeast.
  
  One tablespoon of oil for each 4 cups of whole grain flour should be used. Too much oil will shorten the gluten strands making the bread crumbly and cake like.
  
  

Added Ingredients

• Potatoes are an excellent additive to whole grain bread doughs.early potatoes image by Maria Brzostowska from Fotolia.com
  
  Mashed potatoes are excellent yeast food and a source of natural vitamin C. Use up to 1/4 cup per loaf of real mashed potatoes for lighter-textured whole grain bread.
  
  Xanthan Gum is used in bread flours milled from grains other than wheat. It aids in binding the dough together. Lecithin, a soybean derivative, helps bread remain moist and soft and also acts as a binder. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of liquid or granular lecithin per loaf.
  
  Home milled Kamut and Spelt flour can replace wheat flour as they both contain enough gluten to make yeast breads that have adequate binding and height.