Which flour to buy? We like Red Fife for general use, bread, pancakes, etc - nice flavor. For something more like a white flour or all-purpose, try Clark's Cream or White Sonora. White Sonora is the lightest we have and nearest to all-purpose although all of these are whole wheat flour with 100% of the brand and germ so they are not the same as refined flour. Spelt is also a good all around flour. Einkorn was the favorite in a bread tasting panel (nutty, sweet flavor). The price of these is directly related to the time in "cleaning" which is the elimination of chaff etc. In the case of Einkorn, Emmer, and Spelt, it takes about 5 times longer to clean compared to the others. You can get the whole grain and make flour in an small tabletop mill (about $100), or use a blender. Also you can cook the whole grain like Spelt as you would rice or as hot cereal. Getting a 50 lb bag of your favorite wheat and milling as you need it is the way to go. It will keep for years in a cool dry place in a tight container, it's a good value (bread for $1 a loaf) and you can mill it as needed so you always have fresh flour with maximum nutritional value. You lose up to 70% of nutrients in refined flour although some basic vitamins are added back in. Spelt yeast bread is pictured.
White Sonora and Clark's Cream are the nearest that we offer to all purpose flour. If your family is not too excited about bread from whole wheat flour, White Sonora might be a good one to try! Mild flavor as opposed to the more robust flavor of Red Fife for example. Sifting/removal of some of the bran can provide an even lighter texture. Oh, and it's on sale, 30% off most White Sonora items. Some history - White Sonora is one of the oldest wheat varieties in North America. Documented to exist near Sonora, Mexico in the 1700s but likely predates that time. The predominant wheat in California in the early and mid 1800s, was used by Norman Borlaug for the Sonora 64 semi-dwarf variety, which was one of the first Green Revolution wheats. Unfortunately, Sonora 64 led to the demise of Sonora Wheat. White Sonora Soda Bread pictured below. Pottery by very talented daughter Emily. Mud and Sage Ceramics, @mudandsage
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