sustainability.
PHOTOGRAPH ANDREW MONTGOMERY
What’s all the fuss about stone-milled or stoneground flour – and what exactly is it? Until the 19th century, stone milling was the only means by which whole grains were ground into flour at scale. The mechanics are simple: two flat stone discs are put on top of each other, one of which remains static while the other is turned, slowly crushing the grain into a brown, textured flour with a rich aroma and flavour. Since industrialisation and the introduction of modern varieties of wheat, traditional mills have been usurped by huge industrial roller or steel burr mills, in which the grain is ground multiple times very quickly, then sifted to remove the bran and the germ, creating the fine white powder most people think of as flour today.
The advantages of modernisation were increased speed and volume of production – and longer shelf life, because the oils in the germ are what oxidise and go stale. The disadvantages, according to stone-milled lovers, were a dramatic loss in flavour and nutrition. The slow speed and cool temperature at which the millstones grind mean the grains’ nutrients and flavour are better preserved.