How to Make Bread Flour from Freshly Milled Flour

ByEmily Rider Updated
Jump to Recipe

Making your own bread flour from freshly milled flour gives you the best of both worlds: structure for a strong rise and a crumb that’s soft enough for everyday loaves.

With just two grains and a simple process, you can create a flour blend that works for sandwich bread, sourdough, or rustic rolls, all while keeping the cozy flavor of home-milled flour.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy for details.

If you’re new to working with fresh milled flour, you may find these posts helpful before you dive in: Milling Fresh Flour at Home | A Beginner’s Guide and Sifting Fresh Milled Flour: When It Matters Most.

A Cottage Milling Note

Blending flour from wheat berries isn’t difficult, but it does invite you to slow down and learn as you go. Some loaves may surprise you with a beautiful rise, while others might bake up a little heavier than planned, and that’s part of the process.

Each bake teaches you how fresh flour feels, smells, and responds in your hands.

This simple blend of red and white wheat has been a steady companion in my cottage kitchen through many seasons. It’s reliable enough for sandwich loaves and strong enough for rustic sourdoughs, yet still flexible when I want to experiment.

My hope is that it gives you the same encouragement to keep baking, adjusting, and enjoying the rhythm of making bread with flour you’ve milled yourself.

Why You’ll Love This Flour Blend

  • Balanced flavor – Hard red wheat brings a nutty, hearty depth while hard white wheat keeps the flavor mild and approachable. Together, they create a flour that works beautifully for soft sandwich loaves, rustic sourdough rounds, and almost any everyday bake.
  • Reliable structure – This blend naturally balances protein strength, which means better gluten development and dough that holds its shape. You’ll find kneading and folding feel smoother, and baked loaves have that satisfying chew and lift.
  • Simple and practical – You only need two kinds of wheat berries and a mill—no special formulas or hard-to-find grains. It’s a blend you can repeat consistently, which makes it beginner-friendly but still dependable for seasoned bakers.
  • Room to adjust – Once you’re comfortable, you can shift the ratios to create softer sandwich bread or heartier artisan loaves. You can also try sifting for a higher rise, or use a hot soak to soften bran if you’d rather not sift.
  • Better than the bag – Unlike store-bought bread flour, which is designed to be one-size-fits-all, this blend lets you tailor the texture and flavor. You’re in control of how light, hearty, or rustic you want your bread to be.
Two white bowls on a lace tablecloth: the top bowl filled with freshly milled hard white wheat flour and the bottom bowl filled with whole hard white wheat berries, with wheat stalks arranged around the bowls.
Two white bowls on a lace tablecloth: the top bowl filled with freshly milled hard red wheat flour and the bottom bowl filled with whole hard red wheat berries, surrounded by stalks of wheat.

Ingredients

  • Hard red wheat – The backbone of this blend. It has strong gluten potential and a nutty, hearty flavor that gives bread chew and structure.
  • Hard white wheat – Softer in taste and lighter in color. It balances the intensity of red wheat, making loaves gentler in flavor and perfect for everyday sandwich bread.

Equipment You Will Need

  • Grain mill – Essential for turning wheat berries into fresh flour. Electric mills are quick and consistent for larger batches, while manual mills work well if you’re just milling small amounts. Either way, fresh flour always has a richness you won’t get from the bag.
  • Sieve (#40 or #50) – Optional, but very helpful if you want more rise and a softer crumb. Bran can cut into gluten strands and weigh dough down; sifting with a #40 or #50 sieve removes just enough to help your bread rise taller without losing the benefits of whole grain.
  • Large bowl and whisk – For combining the flours evenly so every scoop has the same strength and balance.

Easy Ways to Customize the Blend

For a lighter loaf – Use 60% hard white wheat and 40% hard red. This makes bread that’s softer in crumb and more neutral in flavor, perfect for sandwich loaves or rolls that don’t feel heavy.

For a heartier loaf – Use 60% hard red wheat and 40% hard white. The extra red wheat gives a nuttier flavor and chewier texture, making loaves taste more rustic and robust—ideal for sourdough boules or hearth-style bread.

For more rise (sifting method) – Bran weighs dough down because it cuts into gluten strands. Sifting with a #40 or #50 sieve removes just enough bran to let the dough rise higher and bake with a finer crumb. Keep the sifted bran to sprinkle in muffins, pancakes, or for dusting bannetons.

For more rise (hot soak method) – If you’d rather not sift, you can soften the bran instead. Heat the liquid from your recipe to about 180°F, pour it over all of the flour, and let it rest for 30–60 minutes before mixing. This “hot soak” softens the bran so it interferes less with gluten. The loaf won’t rise quite as much as with sifting, but it will still bake lighter than unsifted flour. Read this guide: Glossary Of Terms For Sourdough & Freshly Milled Flour for more on soaking and autolyse methods.

Instructions

  1. Gather your tools – You’ll need a grain mill, a large mixing bowl, and a whisk for combining. If you want a lighter loaf, keep a #40 or #50 sieve (optional) handy. Have a container ready, too, in case you plan to store the flour.
  2. Measure your wheat berries – For a balanced blend, measure equal parts of hard red wheat and hard white wheat. Always weigh the berries before milling since the yield increases once ground.
  3. Mill the wheat – Grind the wheat berries on your mill’s finest setting. Mill each type separately if you want precision, then combine later.
  4. Optional sifting or hot soak – Sifting method: Run the flour through a #40 or #50 sieve. This removes just enough bran to let the dough rise higher and bake softer while keeping plenty of flavor. Hot soak method: If you’d rather not sift, heat the liquid from your recipe to about 180°F and pour it over all the flour. Stir until combined, then cover and let it rest 30–60 minutes before mixing. This softens the bran so it won’t cut gluten as much, though the rise won’t be quite as high as with sifting.
  5. Combine the flours – Once milled (and sifted, if you choose), whisk the red and white flours together in a large bowl. Mixing them thoroughly now ensures every scoop has the same protein balance and flavor.
  6. Use now or store – Fresh flour is always best the same day—it’s when flavor and aroma are at their peak. If storing, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months. Always let the flour come back to room temperature before mixing the dough.
  7. First bake guidance – If this is your first time using the blend, start by replacing half the flour in your recipe with this mix and keep the other half store-bought. Add liquid gradually, 2–3 tablespoons at a time, until the dough feels soft and supple. Fresh flour usually needs 5–10% more hydration than store flour, so be ready to adjust.

Adjusting Hydration & Dough Handling

Hydration – Fresh milled flour absorbs more water than store-bought flour because the bran and germ are still intact. This can make dough feel stiffer than expected at first. The key is to add liquid slowly—2 to 3 tablespoons at a time—until the dough feels soft and supple. Most recipes will need about 5–10% more hydration than they call for when converted to fresh flour. Trust how the dough feels in your hands more than the exact measurement written on the page.

Bran and gluten structure – Bran in flour acts like tiny blades, cutting through gluten strands and keeping dough from stretching easily. This is why fresh milled loaves often look shorter or denser if no adjustments are made. To strengthen gluten gently, use the stretch-and-fold method: every 20–30 minutes during bulk fermentation, lift the dough from the edge and fold it over itself, turning the bowl as you go. Over time, you’ll feel the dough become more elastic and structured without being overworked.

Salt – Salt slows fermentation slightly but also strengthens gluten, which helps fresh flour dough hold together better. Some bakers prefer to add it after mixing so the dough gets a quicker start, but if you often forget salt (and most of us do), it’s better to add it upfront. A loaf with salt added early will still rise beautifully and taste balanced—much better than forgetting it altogether.

Conversion tip:

Store-bought flour recipes don’t always translate directly to fresh milled. Always weigh flour in grams instead of scooping cups, and plan for that 5–10% extra hydration. Keeping a conversion chart at your milling station makes this step easier and helps avoid guesswork. Printable conversion chart coming soon…

Baking Techniques with Fresh Milled Flour

Stretch-and-fold – Instead of heavy kneading, fresh milled dough benefits from stretch-and-folds during bulk fermentation. Every 20–30 minutes, slip damp hands under one side of the dough, lift it gently, and fold it over the center. Turn the bowl and repeat on each side. This method strengthens gluten gradually without tearing it, and you’ll feel the dough become smoother and more elastic after each fold.

Ankarsrum mixer – This mixer is gentler than most stand mixers and lets you choose the best tool for the job. The roller and scraper are perfect when making one or two loaves—they mimic the stretch-and-fold motion of hands and build gluten slowly without tearing it. For higher hydration doughs or large batches, switch to the dough hook, which handles the extra volume and strength more efficiently. Either way, the Ankarsrum develops gluten in fresh milled dough more reliably than a standard KitchenAid, which can be too rough and fast.

Watch the dough, not the clock – Fresh flour ferments faster because it’s full of active enzymes. Instead of relying on a set time, pay attention to how the dough looks and feels: has it doubled in size, does it show airy bubbles along the sides, and does it feel lighter when you lift it? These signs tell you it’s ready to move to the next stage, even if the clock says otherwise.

Confident scoring – Fresh flour loaves can surprise you with bold oven spring, so scoring is important. Use a sharp lame or razor blade to make deliberate cuts about ¼ inch deep. A strong, confident slash guides the bread’s expansion and prevents it from bursting randomly in the oven. Practice helps—don’t worry if early loaves look rustic.

RELATED POST

For more information on baking with freshly milled flour, you can read this guide: How to Bake with Freshly Milled Flour | Tips & Recipes to go further into detail and tips.

Storing Wheat Berries & Fresh Flour

  • Wheat berries – Store wheat berries in airtight containers in a cool, dark spot like a pantry or cupboard. They’ll stay fresh for up to a year this way. For longer storage, keep them in the freezer, which protects both flavor and nutrients while preventing bugs or spoilage.
  • Fresh flour – Freshly milled flour is best used the same day you grind it—this is when flavor and aroma are at their peak. If you need to store it, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months. Always let flour come back to room temperature before mixing into dough so it hydrates evenly and doesn’t shock your starter or yeast.
RELATED POST

For more information on storing your wheat grains, read this guide: How To Store Wheat Berries for Long & Short Term for full details and tips.

Don’t forget to pin this for later!

FAQ

Yes. This blend works in bread machines, but you’ll need to watch hydration more closely. Start by adding 1–2 tablespoons more water than your recipe calls for, then check the dough ball during the first knead. It should feel soft and slightly tacky, not stiff or dry. If it looks too tight, add another tablespoon of water until the dough feels right.

Not always—it depends on the texture you’re after. Unsifted flour gives a heartier loaf with more bran and fiber, while sifting with a #40 or #50 sieve creates a lighter crumb and higher rise. If you don’t want to sift, you can use a hot soak (pouring 180°F water over the flour and letting it rest 30–60 minutes) to soften the bran and help the dough rise better.

Dense loaves usually mean the dough needed more water or more gentle gluten development. Fresh flour absorbs extra liquid, so always add water gradually until the dough feels soft and pliable. Stretch-and-folds during bulk fermentation help strengthen the gluten without tearing it, which prevents a heavy crumb.

Absolutely. This blend is well-suited to sourdough because the red wheat adds strength while the white wheat keeps the crumb approachable. Just remember that fresh flour ferments faster than store-bought flour, so keep an eye on your dough. It may be ready to shape sooner than the clock suggests.

If this is your first time baking with a fresh flour blend, start by replacing 50% of the flour in your recipe with this mix and use 50% store-bought bread flour. This gives you the flavor and nutrition of fresh flour while keeping the dough manageable. Once you’re comfortable, move toward 100% fresh milled flour for your loaves.

No—fresh flour still contains the oils from the bran and germ, which can spoil if left out too long. Always refrigerate or freeze your blend if you aren’t using it the same day. Refrigeration is fine for up to a week, while freezing keeps it fresh for up to 3 months.

A grain mill is the only essential tool—you can’t get the same freshness with pre-ground flour. A sieve (#40 or #50) is optional but useful if you want lighter loaves. Beyond that, a mixing bowl and whisk are all you need. If you bake often, an airtight container for storage is worth investing in.

Store-bought flour is aged and processed for consistency, which makes it easier to handle but less flavorful. Fresh flour, on the other hand, still contains bran, germ, and natural oils. These parts make dough more absorbent, ferment faster, and sometimes trickier to work with—but they also bring unmatched flavor and character to your bread.

A wooden flour mill dispensing freshly ground flour into a glass bowl in a cozy kitchen with copper utensils.

Step into The Cottage Mill: Freshly Milled Flour Guides, Recipes, and More Await!

Enter The Mill

Milling Essentials

  • Sieve Fine Mesh
  • Multi-layer electric flour sifter with brush and sieve accessories, perfect for refining freshly milled flour for lighter baking.
    Sidasu Automatic Vibrating Sieve Shaker
  • WonderMill electric grain mill with flour container, wheat berries, and milled flour—an essential tool for home flour milling.
    Wondermill Grain Mill
  • Digital kitchen scale with a bowl of sliced almonds on top, displaying the weight on the LCD screen.
    Digital Kitchen Scale
  • Copper measuring cups and spoons with wooden handles, displayed with coffee beans and spices, ideal for accurate and beautiful baking prep.
    Copper Stainless Steel Measuring Cups and Spoons

    • Cottage Living Newsletter

    Join the Cottage Living Community

    Seasonal recipes, cozy cottage projects, simple from-scratch living, and gentle inspiration for homemakers who crave a slower rhythm rooted in home and heart.

    Sign ME UP!

    More Freshly Milled Flour Guides

    Two floral plates with flour and wheat berries on a lace cloth.
    No ratings yet

    Bread Flour Blend Using Fresh Milled Flour

    Author: Emily Rider
    Learn how to mill and sift hard red, hard white, or a blend of wheat berries to make the equivalent of 1 cup of bread flour. This fresh, high-protein flour is perfect for sourdough, yeast breads, and hearty baking.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time:5 minutes
    Milling & Sifting:5 minutes
    Total Time:10 minutes
    Course: Milling, Flour Blends
    Cuisine: American, Cottage Style
    Servings: 1 cup of Bread Flour

    Equipment

    • 1 Grain Mill
    • 1 #40 or #50 Sieve
    • 1 Digital kitchen scale
    • 1 Whisk
    • 1 Measuring Cups/spoons  
    • 1 Large mixing bowl
    • 1 Air Tight Container *Freezer Safe

    Ingredients

    Sifted Bread FLour

    • 90 grams Hard Red Wheat Berries you will loss 20% – 30%weight by shifting you may have to mill more than 90 grams depending on your wheat.
    • 90 grams Hard White Wheat Berries You will lose 20% – 30%weight by shifting. You may have to mill more than 90 grams, depending on your wheat.

    Unsifted Bread Flour

    • 60 grams Hard Red Wheat Berries
    • 60 grams Hard White Wheat Berries

    Instructions

    Sifted Bread Flour Blend

    1. Mill the wheat berries – Measure out 180g-200g (about 1 1/2 cup) of hard red, hard white, or a 50/50 blend of wheat berries. Run them through your grain mill on the finest setting to create flour with the right protein content for bread baking.
    2. Sift the flour – Pass the freshly milled flour through a #40 or #50 sieve. This removes the largest bran and germ particles, giving you a lighter flour that behaves more like store-bought bread flour.
    3. Weigh the sifted flour – Collect the sifted flour and weigh out 120 g. This is the equivalent of 1 cup of store-bought bread flour and about 1 ¼ cups of fresh flour by volume.
    4. Save the sifted-out bran – Don’t throw away the bran and germ! Store them separately to use in pancakes, muffins, or for adding back into rustic loaves.
    5. Use or store immediately – Fresh flour can lose nutrients quickly. Use it right away in bread, sourdough, or yeast recipes, or store in an airtight container in the freezer for best freshness.

    Unsifted Bread Flour Blend

    1. Mill the wheat berries – Measure out 120 g (about ⅔ cup) of hard red, hard white, or a 50/50 blend of wheat berries. Run them through your grain mill on the finest setting to create flour with the right protein content for bread baking.
    2. Skip sifting – Since you are keeping the bran and germ, there is no need to sift. Your flour will be denser, heartier, and higher in nutrition than sifted bread flour.
    3. Weigh the flour – Collect the flour and weigh out 120 g. This equals 1 cup of store-bought bread flour and about 1 ¼ cups of freshly milled flour by volume.
    4. Use or store immediately – Fresh flour can lose nutrients quickly. Use it right away in bread, sourdough, or yeast recipes, or store in an airtight container in the freezer for best freshness.

    Notes

    Understand protein content — Bread flour is strong because it has more protein (gluten potential). That’s why fresh-milled hard wheat works beautifully in yeast breads and sourdough.
    Expect some loss — You’ll lose about 20–30% of your starting weight when sifting. That’s normal, and why you begin with more wheat berries than the final flour amount you need.
    Don’t panic about sieves — If you only have a #40, that’s fine. A #50 sieve just makes the flour a little finer. Both work for bread flour and are worth experimenting with.
    Volume vs. weight — Remember, 1 cup of store flour = 120 g, but it takes about 1 ¼ cups of fresh flour to equal the same weight. Always trust your scale over measuring cups if you can.
    Plan ahead for recipes — Milling takes just a few minutes, but it’s easy to forget to start early. Weigh and mill your wheat before you begin mixing your dough so the flour is ready to go.
    Flavor develops over time — Fresh flour has a cheery, nutty flavor that improves breads. If you’ve only used store flour before, you’ll notice your loaves taste fuller and more alive.
    Blending is an option — Many bakers like half hard red, half hard white. It gives you both good gluten strength and a balanced flavor profile without being too strong or too mild.

    Troubleshooting:

    Flour feels too coarse — Try running your flour back through the mill on a finer setting, or sift a second time through the #50 sieve.
    Not enough flour after sifting — Remember you’ll lose 20–30% of weight in bran and germ. Start with more wheat berries (about 172 g for every 120 g needed).
    Dough feels heavy or dense — This usually means too much bran slipped through. Use a finer sieve or mix in a little extra sifted flour.
    Can’t match recipe measurements — Always go by weight when possible (120 g = 1 cup store flour). Volume can vary depending on how fluffy your flour is.
    Sieve clogs quickly — Gently tap or shake the sieve, and don’t overload it. Work with smaller amounts of flour at a time for smoother sifting.
    Flour tastes bitter — Fresh flour is best used right away or stored in the freezer. If it sits at room temperature too long, the oils in the wheat germ can go rancid.

    Thank you for spending time with me here at The Modern Day Cottage. My hope is that each guide helps you mill and bake with more confidence. May your jars be ever full, and your loaves rise high.
    With love & gratitude,
    Emily

    Did you liked this Fresh Milled Flour guide?

    If you learned something valuable, I’d be so grateful if you came back to leave a 5 “⭐️” rating. Use the buttons below to share, comment, or connect—I truly enjoy seeing and celebrating your beautiful bakes.

    @themoderndaycottage Leave a Comment @themoderndaycottage
    Close-up of a woman in a peach blouse smiling and leaning against a kitchen counter, with fresh flour and wheat berries visible beside her.

    Emily Rider

    Cottage lifestyle blogger and home miller with 25+ years of sourdough and fresh-milled flour experience.
    Sharing cozy homemade recipes that help you bake with confidence, celebrate each season, and savor the beauty of everyday cottage living.

    About Me

    You'll Also Love...

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.