Free Recipes - Baking with whole wheat flour

Don't you think these pancakes look yummy? They certainly go well with the maple syrup we're busy making today. But would you think less of them if I told you they were whole wheat?

Have you ever been put off using whole wheat flour because you simply don't know how to use it? Are you worried that everything will taste like cardboard? Or that it will upset your stomach? Let me reassure you that baking with whole wheat flour can be delicious as well as healthy. Here are some tips:

First the tummy upset thing. Yes, if you are not used to whole grain flour then it's possible that it could cause some digestive upset including gas and other symptoms I'll leave up to your imagination. Start slowly...blending flours to begin with and work your way up to 100% brown flour. Eat small portions, maybe a biscuit or a cookie until you are used to it. In our house we could eat everything 100% whole wheat and not have any problems because it's what we're used to and that happens over time. If you still have problems after a while and you do not normally eat flour then consider seeing a Dr to see if you might be allergic to wheat. Some unfortunate people are.

Use the freshest flour you can. If you use it only infrequently then store it in the freezer or buy it in smaller quantities, that way the natural oils won't go rancid. Even better...grind your own flour but be sure to get the correct fineness for making desserts. You might have to run it through your mill twice depending on the brand of your mill.

Don't over compensate for the nutty flavour by using lots of oil and sugar. Pay attention to the ingredients in recipes and adjust to taste. Some experimentation may be in order.

And to get you off to a flying start here's a free recipe book you can print or download. Let me know what you think. There are lots of good recipes online too.

Now there's been debate recently regarding the labeling of whole wheat and whole grain products. You should know that 'whole wheat' usually means that most of the germ is removed to improve shelf life whereas 'whole grain' means just that...the whole grain with all it's goodness. Try for whole grain flour if you can find it. Lots of the smaller millers carry it and if you grind your own, that's what you get. And whole grain is WAY better nutritionally.

Enjoy!