Cocoa and Lavender: It's a Grind

Recently, I was lucky enough to win a beautiful German-made KoMo Classic Grain Mill from Pleasant Hill Grain through a giveaway contest on my friend Christina's blog, Christina's Cucina. Her blog is fantastic, especially if you want either authentic Italian or Scottish recipes - as she is both!

I have used the mill several times now, and it is fantastic! I expect you will be seeing quite a few recipes from me using home-milled flours. My first was chickpea flour, which Pleasant Hill Grain sent to me with the mill. So nutty and earthy, it made wonderful cecina - a crêpe-like pancake we first tasted in Viareggio, Italy. The company offers 32 types of GMO-free grains and legumes, many of these are available in an organic option, and many come vacuum-sealed in buckets for maximum freshness.

Today, I bought some Sonoran White Wheat berries from Robert of Tucson Tortilla at Tucson’s Heirloom Farmers Market. I was originally thinking of using the kernels for soup, but then I remembered the KoMo Mill.

I ground the wheat on the machine, using its finest setting. It felt like talcum powder between my fingers. It has a wonderful aroma - almost a honey sweetness. I wish all my readers could try it!

I mixed half this Sonoran white wheat flour with half white bread flour. With a little yeast, salt, and water, it produced a very nice, fragrant bread with a crisp outer crust. Of course, you can use regular whole wheat flour and it will still make a perfectly good bread.

Time to get kneading!

Sonoran White Wheat Bread

Whisk together the yeast with 1/2 cup of the warm water in a large mixing bowl. (If your house is cool, it is best to warm the bowl a little so it doesn't cool off your water when trying to proof the yeast.) Let the yeast proof for about 10 minutes.

Add both flours, the salt, and the other cup of warm water and mix well with a sturdy wooden spoon; the dough will be sticky. Turn out the dough onto a well-floured board and knead several times to form a ball. Using some olive oil, grease a large glass or ceramic bowl and add the dough. Turn the dough so the bottom is now the top and has a light coating of olive oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free place for at least an hour, and up to 1 1/2 hours.

Add more flour to the board and turn out the dough. Divide into two pieces. Knead each piece several times and then shape into a long cylinder. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and set to rise for another hour.

Preheat the oven to 425°F (225°C). Transfer the dough to a parchment-lined tray, separating the loaves by at least 4 inches, and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.