Rediscovering local flavor and variability in flour: the resurgence of small-scale wheat

The days of anonymous, bland, mass-produced flour might be waning as wheat finds its place in the blossoming local food movement. Farmers and artisan bakers across the country now take a fresh interest in growing wheat, rebuilding milling infrastructure, and reclaiming the dying knowledge of processing that has been relegated to a few large conglomerates in the Midwest.

Consumers, meanwhile, are eager to adapt to a different taste and texture to their bread each day, recipes that need to be accommodated for variations in grain flavor, and a far shorter shelf life for their flour. Rather than relying on generic commodity wheat bred for uniformity and yield, some farmers are rediscovering older varieties that top the charts in flavor and nutrition. Connoisseurs find no comparison between supermarket flour and freshly milled, locally grown grains of unique lineage.
Full Story: The New York Times