When I first started learning about fresh milled flour, I had no idea it would become such a big part of our home. I’ve been on this journey for about three years now, and for a very short season I also took my shot at baking with sourdough.
I want to share my honest thoughts on both — because while they often get lumped together, they are actually very different and offer different benefits.
A Little Backstory
For years, I tried to avoid conventional wheat products.
Like many people, I heard all about the gluten-free movement. But my decision wasn’t based on trends — it was based on how I felt. I was walking through some health challenges, and inflammation was a big part of that. I started noticing a pattern–when I ate certain foods, my symptoms would flare up.
White flour, especially conventional store-bought or restaurant bread and baked goods–seemed to be one of the problems. I felt inflamed and it just didn’t sit well.
Interestingly, now that my gut health is in a better place, I can tolerate white flour occasionally without symptoms, but that’s a story for another time.
What I’ve Learned About White Flour
Over time, I began learning more about how modern white flour is made.
Even organic white flour is refined. That means the bran and germ are removed, leaving only the starchy endosperm. In the process, most of the fiber, vitamin E, healthy fats, and many minerals are stripped away. What’s left is a very shelf-stable, soft flour — but one that is significantly less nutrient-dense than whole grain flour.
Fresh milled whole wheat flour naturally contains:
- Fiber that supports digestion
- Nutrients that work together in the body
- Healthy fats and vitamin E
- Minerals like magnesium and zinc and B vitamins
When flour is refined, those components are removed — and with them, some of the elements that help slow digestion and support better blood sugar balance.
It makes sense, then, why so many people say they “feel better” without white flour. For many, it isn’t just about gluten — it’s about how processed the grain has become.
My Honest Experience: Sourdough vs. Fresh Milled
When we added sourdough into our home years ago, I really wanted it to be the solution.
Sourdough is traditionally fermented, which means the natural yeast and bacteria help break down some of the gluten and phytic acid in the grain (which there is some debate that phytic acid is actually good and helps remove heavy metals from the body). This fermentation process can make bread easier to digest and may help with mineral absorption.
And for many people — it truly does.
But for me? I still felt inflamed and my gut didn’t tolerate it much better. My husband actually felt the same—that he didn’t feel great eating it, but with eating fresh milled wheat we both feel amazing.
Even though sourdough is easier on the digestive system than conventional bread, it is often still made with refined flour unless you’re specifically using whole grain flour. So while the fermentation helps, the flour itself may still be missing the full spectrum of nutrients found in the whole grain.
Then Came Fresh Milled Flour
When I switched to baking with organic freshly milled whole grains, something different happened.
At first, I actually experienced what felt like a short “adjustment phase.” For a few days, my digestion felt more active — almost like my body was recalibrating and I felt a little sick. I ate a lot of it quickly though because it was so good. Fresh milled flour is significantly higher in fiber and nutrients compared to refined flour, so that transition made sense.
But after that?
I felt amazing.
- My digestion improved.
- Constipation reduced.
- I had noticeably more steady energy throughout the day.
- I felt nourished instead of sluggish after eating bread.
Fresh milled flour contains the bran, germ, and endosperm — meaning the natural fiber, vitamin E, B vitamins, healthy fats, and trace minerals are still intact. Those nutrients support metabolism, energy production, and digestive health.
For me personally, it felt like my body finally recognized what it was being given.
Something I Didn’t Expect
This is just my personal experience — but I also noticed something surprising.
I had small warts on my hands for over 10 years. After consistently eating fresh milled grains, they gradually disappeared.
I can’t say definitively that fresh milled flour was the direct cause, but I made no other changes during that time period. I do believe that nourishing the body deeply — especially with minerals and whole-food nutrients — supports the immune system in ways we don’t always fully understand. Some educators in the fresh-milled community, like Sue Becker, have shared similar stories from others as well — which I found fascinating. It made me pay attention to how powerful real food can be.
Practicality:
With sourdough you need to keep a starter alive and fed—for me that process was a little annoying. I know it’s simple, but I did kill my starter not once, but twice lol. And as a busy mom who makes most of our food from scratch, I also didn’t like how I would have to plan ahead to make things. However, I know some people have no problems with this and actually really enjoy the whole sourdough process.
Fresh milled—it’s more of an initial investment, but once you have a mill and your berries, it’s very simple to get started right away. You literally grind your flour in less than 5 minutes and start baking. And if you purchase a bread machine like I did, it’s so convenient it’s ridiculous. It’s take 1.5 hours total to have a fresh loaf of bread completely done!
So Where I Land: Sourdough vs. Fresh Milled
For many families, sourdough is a wonderful improvement over conventional bread. The fermentation process absolutely has benefits.
But for our home, organic fresh milled whole grains have made the biggest difference.
Not because it’s trendy.
Not because it’s extreme.
But because we genuinely feel better eating it.
Sourdough focuses on fermentation.
Fresh milled focuses on keeping the whole grain intact.
For us, the nutrients made the difference.
Fresh milled is an investment when it comes to a mill and then buying your wheat berries—so if you can’t do this, I think sourdough is still a great option. It’s substantially better than store bought white flour products.
I can imagine that combining sourdough fermentation with freshly milled whole grains might be the ultimate for some people — the best of both worlds and it seems that is more so how our ancestors ate bread. I haven’t experimented enough to say for sure and I may try in the near future, but for now, fresh milled flour on its own works best for us.
My Home Milling Setup
After researching and saving for a while, I chose the Mockmill Lino 100 for our kitchen. I wanted something simple, reliable, and easy to use regularly — and this one has been exactly that. There are many other reliable grain mills–a lot of people also like the Nutrimill brand and it is much more affordable.
I typically buy organic wheat berries (hard red & white for bread and soft white or einkorn for baked goods) from trusted sources online.
If you’re new to milling, you don’t need a huge setup to start — just quality grain and a dependable mill.
If you’ve been curious about fresh milled flour, consider this your gentle nudge. You don’t have to overhaul everything overnight. Just start with one loaf. One batch of muffins. One small step. Sometimes the simplest foods make the biggest difference. If you know someone locally who has a mill, ask if you can buy a bag of flour from them, or just jump right in like I did!
Happy Baking,
-Nicole
