Mormons store wheat. We’ve been storing wheat and food supplies for years and years and years. My grandma stored a year’s supply of food and my mom stored a year’s supply of food, and I have stored a year’s supply of food. (LDS Provident Living)
We are taught to be self reliant, to be prepared. This is something we work on continually. Some of us have relied on that food storage during times of “job famine.” Yes, I bake my bread weekly with my stored wheat.
Many Mormons have unique storage systems. You want to be able to eat the food you store, and rotate what you have. Hubby and I began a storage program when we were first married. We’ve added to it, and thrown some away.
One Christmas, we gave cases of canned baked beans to all our family members. My side of the fam are all Mormons — so they got it. His side, not Mormon, and they didn’t get it at all. You should have seen their faces when they ripped open the heavy, large box, expecting a TV or something, and finding cans of beans. It was a good laugh.
Wheat kernels have a long shelf-life — it can last 30 years or more. In fact, I have been baking bread with wheat that I stored with dry ice, in 5-gallon buckets more than 20 years ago.
Of course I grind the wheat, just like little red hen.
I had one wheat grinder, that I hated; it was loud and shrill and awful to clean and sooo… slow. (it was the Magic Mill, micronizer) I tossed it in the garage one day, totally fed up with the thing and then the cat peed in it — I finally had good cause to trash it. I thanked the kitty.
The one I use now is fast, simple and no cleaning — and German made. I love it. Mine has a motor-base by Jupiter, but the unit is now called the
Family Grain Mill. It comes with a hand attachment too, so if your famine includes getting your electricity turned off, it will work. (just hope you have gas for your oven)
I use my kitchen-Aid with the dough hook (that my kids bought me a few years ago). I used to have a Bosch mixer, but it bit the dust after 30 years. it was good, but the Kitchen-Aid is just as good in my opinion.
I grind the wheat, I mix up the dough, I let it rise, I punch it down, I form it into loaves, I bake it, I eat it, I share it.
*Cinnamon loaf with brown sugar bottom:
Roll dough flat, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, form into loaf. Melt butter and brown sugar and put in the bottom of the pan to bake. This one just has the brown sugar bottom.
Sites to help you get started on storing food and being prepared for whatever famine comes your way:
Provident Living (LDS site)
Grain Mill Source:
Pleasant Hill
2 1/3 cups warm water
1 1/2 Tablespoons yeast
1/4 cup honey
1/4 light olive oil
2 tsp salt
1/4 cup ground flax seed (optional)
1/4 cup rye flour (optional)
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 3/4 cup unbleached whole wheat flour or bread flour ( I buy this)
In the mixing bowl add water, yeast, honey, oil, salt. Add rye flour, flax seed, and half of the flour. Mix on low speed for a few minutes, add the remaining flour. Mix on low with dough hook for 10 minutes. This is the kneading.
Remove from bowl, place in a bowl that his been sprayed with Pam, cover with plastic or thin towel, and let rise until double, about 1 hour. I put it in the oven, turned off or slightly warmed and then turned off.
Remove dough and divide in half. Form into loaves, place in loaf pans that have been sprayed with Pam. Let rise until almost doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
To bake, set oven temp to 375℉. Bake about 35 – 45 mins.
Take out, remove from pans, lightly butter the tops and sides to keep crust tender and not too hard. I just open a cube of butter and holding it by the paper wrapper, rub it over the top and sides.
*Cinnamon loaf with brown sugar bottom:
Roll dough flat, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, form into loaf. Melt butter and brown sugar and put in the bottom of the pan to bake. This one just has the brown sugar bottom.
My KitchenAid Professional Series 600:
