Flour Milling Challenge
At the beginning of the quarantine for COVID-19 I bought a plethora of wheat berries with the intention of making a lot of bread. I had an unexpected health crisis with my elderly dog, so baking was put to the side for a good while until a new normal routine was established.
The challenge I’ve set for myself is to mill 2 cups (240 grams) of flour every day for a week. I’m posting the live video from each day. Fingers crossed I’ll make it through the week with my muscles in tact or bigger!
Flour Milling Challenge – Day 1
After the first day of milling I was certainly feeling the fact that I hadn’t been creating my own flour consistently. I was out of breath and it took me about 30 minutes to feel completely back to normal.
Flour Milling Challenge – Day 2
The second day surprisingly did not bring as much soreness as I was anticipating. It had started to become really warm during the day and I was determined not to turn on my central air, and solely rely on the breeze coming in through the windows. This hopeful attitude also had me drinking a large quantity of water to help my body cool itself naturally. My theory is the increased water intake and smoothies with bananas helped me avoid soreness. As well as plenty of stretching of course!
Flour Milling Challenge – Day 3
By day three I was definitely noticing that half way through milling, my stamina would start to decline.
Flour Milling Challenge – Day 4
Day four proved to be a difficult day to get through as I could feel soreness in my sides and core. Since my current setup requires just about my entire body to mill, this proved to be an added struggle.
Flour Milling Challenge – Day 5
By day five I was reminiscing about the reasons why I periodically mix commercial flours with my home-milled flour.
Flour Milling Challenge – Day 6
I was surprised on day six how much my body temperature rose as I milled. It had been raining most of the day and brought the temperature of my apartment down significantly from the previous days.
Flour Milling Challenge – Day 7
The final day of milling I happened upon the (reintroduced to me) concept of mindfulness. A little over a year ago I was going through a difficult life experience and was searching for a way to calm my thoughts. I remembered how focused and calm making bread made me when it was a regular part of my life, so I decided to try it again. I was making bread at least once or twice a week and felt my strength to handle challenges growing. Rediscovering my love for bread has brought me back to the person I love to be.