Can I grind wheat without a mill?

[Marianne]

DH brought home a 25# bag of hard white spring wheat. He thought he was getting flour.

I don't have a grain mill. Is there any way I can grind it? I have a food processer, blender, magic bullet, dinky mortar and pestle (I really don't want to use that).

 

[k15n1]

From what I read on the interwebs, yes. But it'll take a long time in your blender or food processor.

 

[ORChick]

Is a Magic Bullet a jar you use on the blender? If it is what I think it is, then it might do the trick. When I still drank coffee I would use a pint canning jar with the blender blades to grind the beans, and that worked well. I think a Magic Bullet is the same idea? The problems that you might have with wheat (harder than coffee!) are that you could only do a small amount at a time - but for one loaf of bread that mightn't be that big a deal. You will probably be also causing the wheat to heat up more than might be optimum (but I assume you would only do enough for that day's baking at any one time). And you wouldn't have much control over the fineness; some would end up ultra fine, and some not so very. It would be worth a try though.
Or you could soak and sprout the grain, and use it whole, mixed in with storebought flour.

 

[moolie]

Some coffee grinders (the burr kind) will work, but a blender or food processor will quickly burn out and also heat the grain to the point of damaging some nutrients. You can make certain things like blender pancakes/waffles where you grind the wheat with liquid as part of the recipe prep:

Blender Pancakes/Waffles

Soak 1 cup wheat berries overnight in half a cup of water
In the morning, add 1/2 cup milk and blend on highest setting for 3-4 minutes until smooth
Add 2 eggs, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tbsp oil or butter, and 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey and blend on low until combined
Use blender jar to pour batter on pan for pancakes or into waffle iron for waffles

*for waffles increase total amount of oil/butter to 1/4 cup

Makes 8 regular pancakes or 6 large waffles, easy to double

I would assume that you could modify your bread and other wheat flour recipes in the same manner

 

[Britesea]

I wonder if you could use Craigslist to find someone that could grind the flour for you in exchange for a portion of it?

Our mill doesn't grind everything to the same fineness, but we just sift out the cracked wheat and use it for hot cereal. If we needed more flour, we could grind it a second time.

 

[dacjohns]

A metate?

 

[Theo]

Maybe if you don't want to plunk down $150 or more for a decent grinder, buy a cheap one, pregrind the flour and grind it finer in the blender or processor

 

[Marianne]

A metate?

What is that?

I have mixed feelings about the grinder. I think that I'd probably use it now as I can get wheat for practically nothing (good relationship with farmer who owns fields on both sides of our house). He saves wheat seed, but is not totally organic.

On the flip side, we will really be downsizing in a few years, maybe sooner. I kind of don't want to bring new gadgets into the house.

 

[terri9630]

A metate?

What is that?

I have mixed feelings about the grinder. I think that I'd probably use it now as I can get wheat for practically nothing (good relationship with farmer who owns fields on both sides of our house). He saves wheat seed, but is not totally organic.

On the flip side, we will really be downsizing in a few years, maybe sooner. I kind of don't want to bring new gadgets into the house.

You could always use it and then send it to me! I need to find a grinder/mill for wheat and coffee. Hubby would be VERY put out if he couldn't grind his coffee beans.

 

[dacjohns]