Childhood memories of whole wheat bread were not among my favorites.  Maybe your experiences are much the same.  Whole wheat bread was dry, heavy and gritty.  Years later, with the needs of my own family to consider, I became more conscious of the foods I was choosing.  I knew the white bread I was buying had no nutritional value at all.  We made the switch to wheat bread.  It was not appreciated by my family (!) but they ate it anyway - even if it was store bought.

I learned much about whole grains and in particular - whole wheat during the next few years.  If you have ever baked with whole wheat flour, you know that it can create a very heavy, dry product.  That’s why most recipes use a blend of wheat flour with other lighter flours.

Whole Wheat - Rich in Nutrients

Whole wheat berries are made up of 3 parts: the bran, germ and endosperm.  Whole wheat flour uses the entire grain - rich in calcium, protein, iron, fiber and containing multiple vitamin and mineral properties.

Refining Whole Wheat Grain Removes Nutrients

During the process of refining the whole wheat berries, 40% of all nutritional value is lost.  Refined flours contain only the endosperm.  Most of the bran and germ (where the bulk of nutritional value is) have been removed.  Often you’ll see the  word ‘enriched’ stamped onto bread labels - making you think it is far better.  Truth is - everything of value has been processed out.  Only a small fraction of nutritional value has been added back in and that little bit of value is no longer in its natural form.

Finding a way to use the whole wheat grain in order to make bread my family would love was my biggest problem.  I did make homemade bread quite often, but the flours were mostly refined and - for the most part not nutritious.  I used unbleached flour - thinking that it was much better - only to find out that it was still refined flour.  My attempts at making whole wheat bread left a lot to be desired.  The bread was dry and had no shelf life at all.  We usually ate it the same day and threw the rest away.

It all changed the day I heard about a way to make whole wheat bread that was moist, flavorful, chewy and had a counter life of nearly 5 days!  Life has never been the same.

The Bosch Kitchen Mixer and Wonder Mill

Up to that point, baking my own bread meant at least 5 hours of tending.  The time factor alone made it near to impossible for the average working family to even address the possibility.  When I saw the Bosch mixer in action I was impressed. This is not a bread maker.  It is an actual kitchen mixer with a powerful 800 watt motor that kneads the bread for you - developing the gluten (a stretchy protein) in the wheat, making it soft and light.

Imagine the health benefits of freshly ground wheat berries, still warm from the grinder and rich in nutrients, immediately made into the softest, chewiest and most flavorful bread you have ever tasted.  Are you ready for the best part?  In 2-3 hours - from the moment you begin grinding the wheat, to taking 4 loaves of bread out of the oven and mess cleaned up, you can be enjoying your own nutritious bread.  The Bosch mixer and the Wonder Mill grinder are two of the most amazing things I have ever purchased.

When you consider your nutritional health, think about one of the most staple products in your pantry - bread.  You eat it nearly every day.  Why not choose bread that is loaded with nutritional value, has no preservatives but still boasts a 4-5 day counter life and costs only pennies to make?  You’ll never want to buy another load of store-bought bread!