Can you make bread from Durum Wheat Kernels?

shop deals on amazon
Advertise with us
Shop deals on ebay
Homesteading & Country Living Forum

Help Support Homesteading & Country Living Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
S

Stu77000

Super Friend
Neighbor
Joined
Mar 13, 2022
Messages
31
Location
Down South
Hi all,

So I am looking to buy some wheat and make bread from the whole kernel, not just the white flour.
Durum wheat is usually used to make pasta, but can be used for bread.

Reason I ask is that I don't have a lot of money to spend right now and I have found a good deal on Durum wheat.
Anyone here familiar with Durum wheat?
Yay or nay to buying it for making bread?

Edit: I am looking to buy in one big bulk lot, hence my question. I can't test the wheat out beforehand.

Here's the source:
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Milling-Wheat-Grain-Non-Gmo-wheat_10000003177167.html
 
Last edited:
Stu77000 said:
Hi all,

So I am looking to buy some wheat and make bread from the whole kernel, not just the white flour.
Durum wheat is usually used to make pasta, but can be used for bread.

Reason I ask is that I don't have a lot of money to spend right now and I have found a good deal on Durum wheat.
Anyone here familiar with Durum wheat?
Yay or nay to buying it for making bread?

Edit: I am looking to buy in one big bulk lot, hence my question. I can't test the wheat out beforehand.

Here's the source:
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Milling-Wheat-Grain-Non-Gmo-wheat_10000003177167.html
Click to expand...

I assume what you mean is that you are going to mill the wheat berries into your own flour? You can't make bread with only whole berries. As for making bread with it, I would add it to a harder flour rather than alone, otherwise you sacrifice texture.
 
It sounds like you are referring to wheat berries. Is that correct? It is the whole wheat which you then need to grind with a manual or electric grinder into flour. Preppers stock wheat berries because it stays good for many many years.

Yes, Durum wheat can definitely be used for bread. There are some good recipes that call for it.

I might add that with the, for certain upcoming wheat shortage, get as much as you can! Store it in buckets with good seals to keep air out. Sprinkle some diatomaceous earth in the bottoms of the buckets and on the top of the wheat before sealing. It will kill any bugs in the wheat.
 
Thanks guys.

Yes. I plan on storing the whole wheat berries long term.

I have a solid manual (because there most likely won't be electricity in a SHTF scenario) grinder that will grind the berries into wheat that I will make bread with.

@rainingcatzanddogs Are you sure you can't make bread with just the berries?

I've been practising with normal whole wheat flour from the shop, and making Soda Bread use baking soda (not powder) and vinegar to make the bread rise.

@GeorgiaPeachie Is it possible to substitute normal wheat berries for durum berries, or is there something you need to do differently? Should I grind the durum as fine as possible?
 
GeorgiaPeachie said:
I prefer the berries ground “fine”….but believe me, when you are trying to not expend more calories than you are taking in, you will be happy with rough ground flour.

Nothing different is necessary.
Click to expand...

Indeed, being fussy will be the last thing on anyone's mind.

Would this product be good to do a test run?

https://www.italiandelionline.co.za...asta-flour-1kg?_pos=1&_psq=durum&_ss=e&_v=1.0
I only seem to be able to find durum semolina and not just durum.
 
Perhaps this will be helpful. Copy and paste is faster for me too! LOL

Both semolina and durum flour are products rendered from milled durum wheat. The endosperm—the nutrients surrounding the wheat seeds—is separated from the grain through the milling process, resulting in coarsely-ground flour known as semolina. The texture of semolina is heavier, like hard bread crumbs, and is more coarse than most milled flours.
Durum flour is the fine ground powder left over from the milling process and also a product of semolina that's ground further. Durum flour is much finer than semolina, and resembles more traditional baking flours.

Function​

Semolina and durum flour are both high in proteins and gluten, which make flour very pliable in dough form and allow them to hold up well under heated conditions.
The coarse texture of semolina holds pasta dough together and strengthens it when heated. Durum flour's more delicately ground texture creates a softer dough that's forced through pasta makers more easily and bends or curls when cooked.

Uses​

Semolina and durum flour are traditionally used to make pasta, noodles and even some breads with a coarser, harder texture. Semolina allows pasta like rotini, farfalle and macaroni to hold their distinct shapes. Durum flour is used for noodles like spaghetti and lasagna so that the pasta becomes softer and more pliable when cooked. Durum flour's fine grain also lends itself to baking, offering hard wheat textures to breads.
 
I like it. It has a higher gluten content, so I think you can get by with a bit less yeast or levening. I grind mine.

It is really good for pizza dough and such but would make awful pastries. I don't use 100% durum ever, so I wouldn't know how that would work... though now I may do it just to try it out!

If you got a good price I would stock up.

I think it would be pretty gross as sprouted or cooked grains, but I could be wrong.

*edited- you know, now that I think of it, the less yeast thought might be because I am using a mix and it's just enough to have more gluten but not enough to change its rising ability... I may have given you bad info here.
 
Stu77000 said:
@rainingcatzanddogs Are you sure you can't make bread with just the berries?

When I say just the berries, what I mean is without processing them. You can make a nice cereal similar to oatmeal with just a bowl of wheat berries and letting them soak, but, without grinding or at least some flour, I wouldn't call that bread exactly.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
I have made bread (a close approximation at least) with wheat berries and water, smashing the berries with rocks. It was an experiment just to satisfy my own curiosity. The texture was close as I did not use yeast and so there were no air bubbles from rising. The husks were left in and so it added a gritty, fibrous quality but fibre is good for the bowel health. It was edible and it would keep a person from starving. I cooked it on an open fire out in the garden - again out of curiosity.
If you had salt, you could add it for a bit more flavour but equally you could eat it without if you had to. I too have a grain mill which will crush anything - corn, acorn, oats, nuts and this can be used for the basis of a lot of useful foods.
Weevils in the grain freak some out but the grain can also be used - you need to treat it first: freeze it for a day or so if the power is on or roast it in a container before milling if the power is off. You can do the same with the flour too. If your flour is in a paper bag then bag it in plastic before you freeze it or the bag will go soggy lol
Making your own yeasts is easy too using ripe fruits or dried raisins. The fruit can make the bread taste a bit funky but garlic sorts the flavour right out.

I sourced a few bags of somewhat rare and very expensive heirloom berries because they were one of the first wheat varieties planted in the UK and they are extremely hardy and yield well, even without fertiliser. I plant out a small summer crop to keep the germination going. The rest of the time I just negotiate with the local grain farmers here for bulk quantities.

Hope this helps.
 
Thanks @Holly1 that's useful information.
And weevils don't bother me, just a little more protein, but if I see them I do take them out, but I don't hassle.
Feeding bread with weevils in it to my vegetarian friends might make for a good prank though......

Anyway turns out I can get a bunch of different wheat for the same price. For those in the know, which of the following wheat (see link below) is the one I want.
Pretty sure I don't want soft wheat as that is for cakes and the like. Durum I would only take if I couldn't get regular wheat. Anyone know what Milling Wheat is?

I think the hard wheat is the one I want?

http://www.genpomblobalgroup.co.za/durum-wheat.html
 
Hard wheat, like red wheat is grown where I live. I grind it and mix with a white wheat berry for a good loaf of bread. Red wheat, winter wheat, is planted in the fall. It comes up green a few inches, dies back down from the cold, and is first to grow and harvest in the spring. I live in Kansas, and there's wheat all around.
 
It kind of depends on what you want to make with it, your tastes, and what your goal is with it. Off that list, I would personally choose the hard red. You can make bread with any type of wheat. A lot of people prefer bread made with white, though (my husband is one of them). It makes excellent pitas.

We have durum, red fife, another kind of hard red that I can't remember, soft white, and hard white. I am still experimenting with my perfect ratio for bread and pasta, etc.

If you have never had freshly ground wheat, it's a little sweeter than flour that has been out.

If you want a traditional loaf, a mix is going to be best between white and red. If you want a dense survival loaf, a hard red is good. If you want chewy, durum makes it chewier. I don't see where the list tells you whether it is winter or spring wheat, but those matter, too. A spring wheat is going to be fluffier.

I would look up tips for baking with whole wheat, too, so you won't be disappointed with your first loaves. It is trickier baking with 100% whole grains because you often don't get the rise. That's why it's helpful to mix a couple, you can kind of combine properties a bit.

That's my rambling post for the day. Hope it helps.
 
So if you guys had to choose between Soft Wheat and Durum Wheat, taking all the prepping factors into account like long term storage, making bread with it, etc. which would choose.

Soft wheat is best for cakes, pastries and so on.

Has anyone here tried making bread with it.
 
Stu77000 said:
So if you guys had to choose between Soft Wheat and Durum Wheat, taking all the prepping factors into account like long term storage, making bread with it, etc. which would choose.

Soft wheat is best for cakes, pastries and so on.

Has anyone here tried making bread with it.
Click to expand...

Either one would be useful, but if your going for bread or tortillas, soft wheat. You can always blend it with acorn, amaranth, and other common flours to make bread. I'd mix with corn flour and make corn bread cake. Durum is best for pastas, which you can also blend. The durum will probably store longer term. I guess it's your preference on what you want to make with it and how you store it.
 
Survivor_316 said:
Can you repackage it with oxygen absorbers and freeze it prior to packaging?

If so, soft wheat. If not, durum.

I only say this because soft wheat seems to get buggy faster for me.
Click to expand...

I plan on putting it in two airtight plastic bags (which should take care of any weevils) and then put those two in a 25 litre bucket. I froze the wheat last time but not this time around. I might do oxygen absorbers will have to see.
 
Proud Prepper said:
Either one would be useful, but if your going for bread or tortillas, soft wheat. You can always blend it with acorn, amaranth, and other common flours to make bread. I'd mix with corn flour and make corn bread cake. Durum is best for pastas, which you can also blend. The durum will probably store longer term. I guess it's your preference on what you want to make with it and how you store it.
Click to expand...

It's two factors that are my main concern. Storage and how well you can make bread with the wheat.
If making bread is not a problem then I suppose soft wheat would be the way to go.

Ok, so here's a question - under ideal conditions, how long will soft and durum wheat store?
 
I bought a specific bread mix flour.
I sealed in the food saver. Then froze the bags for a while.
My plans are to use the bread maker while the gen is running and my wood stick smoker in cast iron after.
I experiment with both methods and different recipes to become familiar with the processes
It’s not just doing it, it’s knowing how to do it. it also rotates product as you learn.
 
EastenerWesterner said:
I bought a specific bread mix flour.
I sealed in the food saver. Then froze the bags for a while.
My plans are to use the bread maker while the gen is running and my wood stick smoker in cast iron after.
I experiment with both methods and different recipes to become familiar with the processes
It’s not just doing it, it’s knowing how to do it. it also rotates product as you learn.
Click to expand...

Yes, I have been experimenting with actually making the bread recently in a solar oven.

Has been fun learning. I use vinegar and baking soda to make the bread rise as yeast only stores for about 1-2 years.

Experimented with store bought flour first and then ground some of my own. Used the whole kernel.

Using the whole kernel uses so much more water! I thought it would be the opposite, so once again adjusted my recipe.
 
Stu77000 said:
It's two factors that are my main concern. Storage and how well you can make bread with the wheat.
If making bread is not a problem then I suppose soft wheat would be the way to go.

Ok, so here's a question - under ideal conditions, how long will soft and durum wheat store?
Click to expand...

Decades. I have never reached the point where properly stored berries have gone rancid.

That being said, I have never reached the point where my flour has gone rancid that I can tell, either.

Nuts, seeds, etc., I have, so I don't think my rancid meter is broken. 🙂
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top