Freshly milled whole grains made delicious, nutritious, and practical
Battle of the Ancient Grains: Spelt vs. Einkorn for Baking Whole Grain Goodness Welcome, fellow baking enthusiasts and health-conscious foodies, to a showdown of epic proportions in the world of ancient grains! Today, we’re diving into the age-old debate: Spelt vs. Einkorn — which ancient read more…
All you ever needed or wanted to know about sprouting grains for bread.
One of the top questions in freshly milled flour groups is “how much grain mills one cup of flour”, but in different ways. My recipes are listed as grams of grain, while Sue Becker’s recipes are listed as cups of flour. Other recipes may list grams of flour. The answers to these questions can get VERY complicated, but we are going to keep things SIMPLE.
One cup of flour ranges from 120 – 130 grams per cup. I like to use 125 grams per cup for several reasons. If I’m using a recipe that’s doubled or more, there will not be too much flour in the dough. If I need to calculate a fraction of a cup, I just use 120 grams per cup for easier math in my head. Don’t worry math traumatized folks, I’ve got you! A chart will be listed below using 125 grams per whole cup, and 120 grams per fraction of a cup.
1 cup flour = 125 grams of grain = 125 grams of flour
approximately
| Cups of Flour | Grams of Grains | Cups of Grains* |
|---|---|---|
| 1/8 cup | 15 grams | 1 1/2 tbsp |
| 1/4 cup | 30 grams | 3 tbsp |
| 1/3 cup | 40 grams | 1/4 cup |
| 1/2 cup | 60 grams | 1/3 cup |
| 3/4 cup | 90 grams | 1/2 cup plus 1 tsp |
| 1 cup | 125 grams | 2/3 cup plus 1 tbsp |
| 2 cups | 250 grams | 1 1/2 cups |
| 3 cups | 375 grams | 2 cups plus 3 tbsp |
| 4 cups | 500 grams | 3 scant cups |
| 5 cups | 625 grams | 3 2/3 cups |
| 6 cups | 750 grams | 4 1/2 cups |
*The cups of grains used here are based on 1 cup of grains weighing 170 grams (pretty consistently). Just know that measuring by volume is less accurate than by weight. If you use cups for measure, I’d use this chart.
Once milled I often get asked how many grams of flour 500 grams of grain equals. They are the SAME! 100 grams of flour = 100 grams of grains
When converting recipes from grandma, use this conversion of 125 grams per cup of flour and remember when in doubt to let the dough or batter rest for 15 – 30 minutes before adjusting the recipe.
Other useful topics:
How to make all the flour you can dream of, from chickpea and other bean flours, gluten-free flour, cake, all-purpose, pastry, bread flour and more.
Understanding which type of grain to mill depends on the category of baked goods you’re aiming to create. In baking, we typically categorize our needs into three main types: Pasta, Bread, and Pastries. PASTA Pasta is made without leavening agents and benefits from using the read more…
Have you tasted the delicious fresh milled bread or pastries of a friend and are hooked? Are you open to the idea of eating tasty food while getting top nutrition? Maybe you jumped in head first and already bought a mill. Now what? You need some grains, and which ones to buy is going to depend on you and your family’s existing habits.
If your favorites include muffins, cookies, pancakes, or waffles, your choice of grains will differ from someone who prefers pasta or bread. It also depends on whether you’re dealing with picky eaters or if you’re open to exploring various flavors and textures.
This category uses the hardest of all the grains (highest protein), and is made without leavening (yeast or baking powder/baking soda).
| Ideal | Durum Wheat |
|---|---|
| Ancient | Khorasan (Kamut) / Emmer |
This category does best with strong grains (high protein content) likely to form a good amount the gluten network that makes great bread. It can be leavened with yeast, sourdough starter, wild yeasts, or even baking powder (as in Irish Soda Bread).
| Ideal | Hard White Wheat, Hard Red Wheat (Spring or Winter) |
|---|---|
| Ancient | Einkhorn, Spelt, or Rye plus the “Pasta” grains above |
Leavened most often with baking soda or baking powder, and sometimes eggs (think popovers), soft grains with lower protein will help give a light and tender crumb.
| Ideal | Soft White Wheat, Soft Red Wheat |
|---|---|
| Ancient | Spelt, Barley, Rye, gluten free grains |
Sometimes you want pastries that are tender, but aren’t quite so tender that they easily come apart. This is when an all-purpose would work, by milling a mixture of grains, such as 1/2 hard 1/2 soft grains, or you could split the difference into thirds based on which properties you’d prefer (softer crumb vs. holds together better).
Buy grains based on the category you would bake from the most. For bread, you can buy hard white wheat and mix your pastries VERY little so the gluten is not developed.
Flavor of Grains
Note that red versions (like hard or soft red wheat) have a stronger, more whole wheat-like taste compared to their white counterparts. For picky eaters or those sensitive to flavor, choose white wheat varieties as your first choice.
If Pastries Are Your Focus
Consider using soft white wheat or spelt. When baking bread with these, ensure longer mixing times for better gluten development, or add vital wheat gluten to bolster structure.
Using Grains Across Categories
While each grain type is best suited for specific baking categories, you can experiment across categories. However, optimal results come from using grains tailored to each type of baking.
Once you have some grains on hand, you’ll likely want to go in one of these directions:
Final Thoughts
Start with the grains you use most frequently, then expand your selection based on your baking adventures. Remember, if bread isn’t your passion, focus on what you love most.
Ready to get started? Join our community for more tips and support on milling fresh flour and baking delicious treats!
