In the process of buying equipment for your bakery business, I’m sure you’ve stumbled upon flour mills. But why should a bakery need a flour mill when ground flour is perfectly available to buy? Why go through the effort of milling your own flour if there’s a much simpler solution? Well, if a bakery wouldn’t benefit from a flour mill, there won’t be any on the market. So clearly, these appliances can help your business. But how?
Read on to discover why you need a flour mill and how to find the right model for you.
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Flour is made of grains, which are actually seeds. And seeds contain a variety of nutrients such as vitamins, fiber, protein, fat, and starch. However, once milled, the protective coating of seeds is damaged and some of the nutrients are released and begin to slowly oxidize. As a result, the longer the flour isn’t used, the more of its nutritional contents get lost. In fact, it’s estimated that flour loses up to 40% of its vitamin content in the first 24 hours after milling, and up to 90% after 3 more days. And the same goes for other nutrients.
For that reason, if you want to give your customers a healthier and more nutritious option, consider grinding your own grains instead of buying commercially milled flour. This can be a great choice if you’re a bakery specializing in healthy, organic and whole-grain products.
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Even though healthier products may attract some client base, tastier products are the ones that will drive more business. That being said, boosting the flavor of their products is the main reason many bakeries decide to buy flour mill online or from a local food equipment supplier. Freshly milled flour is able to retain more of its characteristic flavor. Products made of fresh flour are more flavorful, have more nuanced and intense aromas and even stronger colors. And considering how smell and looks can affect our perception of how food tastes, this can result in a more satisfying experience for your customers.
Additionally, milling your own flours can allow you to play and experiment with taste. You can create your own type of flours by using different mixes from the wide spectrum of grains out there. Seeking to discover new flavors through flour can add an element of adventure to your profession.
Wholewheat flour can be very expensive because its very short lifespan makes it harder for producers and retailers to ship and store. Because it contains more fat, it can go rancid quite quick, especially in the summer heat. For that reason, producing whole grain products can be very expensive for businesses, especially small bakeries. However, if you were to mill your own wholegrain flour, you can significantly reduce the cost compared to buying commercially sold whole-wheat flour. This way, you can enrich your product range in a way that will be less expensive for you.
As I’ve mentioned, wholewheat flour is expensive because it goes rancid very quickly. So, even if you decide that it’s easier to purchase commercially sold whole grain flour, you may have trouble to use it all up within its very limited shelf life. That being said, there’s a high chance that you will end up having to throw away some of it, thus losing money. Plus, even before it’s gone rancid, flour that has been out for too long can result in products that taste sour and kind of off. In contrast, grains and seeds have an incredibly long shelf life, measured in years, That being said, using freshly milled flour is the best way to save money and ensure all your products taste fresh.
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So, all of these advantages have definitely convinced you your bakery needs a flour mill. For both small and large businesses who want to buy flour mill online and local stores selling food production equipment offers a wide range of models. To determine which one is the right for you, ask yourself the following questions.
Manual flour mills are obviously a lot more affordable compared to electric mills. However, they will require some manpower to get them working. Plus, grinding grain using a manual mill takes longer than using an electric model. Additionally, different mills produce different types of flour which are suitable for baking different products. Because manual mills require a fair amount of effort, most people using them can only produce coarser flour which is more suitable for bread making. On the other hand, electric mills can produce anything from coarse flour to very fine flour which is used for pastry-making. In the absence of power, some electric mills can also be used manually.
The main component of the milling machine in a grain mill is its grinding burrs. There are three types of burrs: stone burr, impact burr and steel burr. Stone burr mills are able to grind all kinds of dry grains, beans and spices. However, they aren’t suitable for wet or oily materials. They are available as both electric and manual models. Quality stone burrs are known to last longer than impact and steel burrs.
Impact-burrs are electric only. They are known for offering high-speed and power. Impact-burr mills have the capacity to grind high amounts of grain for less time, which is why they’re usually used for high-scale bread production. They can be used only for grinding dry grain.
Steel burrs are very versatile as they can grind dry, wet or cracked grain, and even hard white rice. However, they’re not very efficient in producing flour with very fine texture. Most steel burr mills are available as manual models.
Some more powerful electric mills, like for instance impact-burr models, can produce high quantities of flour extremely fast. However, the downside to using such a mill is the noise that it produces. This can be a problem for the bakers which will need to work in a loud environment. Additionally, some mills are so loud that they can also be heard in the front of the house, which can make it uncomfortable for customers who want to enjoy your products within your establishment.
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