For a long time I used to buy all the little bags of various flours at Bob's Red Mill and keep them in the freezer and then add them to whatever I am baking. The thing is, they make a mess (because I tear them open like a deranged squirrel) and for one recipe I might pull out 5 flours and it was just making me crazy, so a few years ago, after receiving a few HUGE glass jars from my grandparents' belongings, I got smart, and filled it with a whole grain flour blend I make every so often. I keep it in the fridge, so when I need it, 5-6 flours are in one spot, already mixed and ready to go.
This comes with some limitations I've gotten used to. Because I don't ever write down what's in there, or how much, I can't exactly reproduce it. Also, I use this blend in almost everything I bake, which isn't always a perfect choice, but I'm just not that picky, and for the most part it's really good. Fancy light cakes and biscuits/scones don't work well with this blend. But for almost everything else I bake, it's lovely.
I use 1/2 the amount of required flour with the homemade blend and 1/2 with unbleached white. Then I usually have to add a bit more liquid. It's really forgiving in muffins, cookies, brownies, gingerbread, pancakes, waffles, cornbreads and quickbreads. Anything chcocolate is great, just nothing that needs to be light and airy.
In my mix right now is (from what I rememeber and the amounts might be different):
- 1 part Whole Wheat Flour
- 1/4 part Buckwheat Flour (this makes the batter turn a bit blue, which you can't see in this photo)
- 1 part Oat Flour
- 1 part Teff Flour
- 1/4 part Rye Flour
I like the muffin recipes from King Arthur and Smitten Kitchen, I don't always add the fruit I just use them as a base.
