Welcome back to Week Three of Summer in the Kitchen! Over the course of this five-week series, I'm sharing everything from appetizers to desserts to inspire you to use Palouse Brand's premium products in fresh, seasonal ways. Summer is the perfect time for bright, refreshing dishes that make the most of garden-fresh ingredients, and in this week's recipe we are shifting our focus from legumes to wheat berries for a fresh milled sandwich bread.

If you missed Week One and Two’s recipe for Marinated Chickpeas with Whipped Feta and Tangy Chickpea & Black Bean Salad, be sure to check Week One  out for a delicious appetizer and refreshing summer salad with garden fresh vegetables.

If you're just popping into the Summer Series, my name is Ashley, the creator behind @red.ridge.roots on Instagram. I have a passion for cooking; feeding and serving my family is truly my love language. When I'm not in the kitchen, you'll usually find me tending to our homestead on Red Ridge, working in the garden, caring for our chickens and rabbits, or preserving the harvest through canning, freeze-drying, and other traditional methods.

Why fresh milled?

If you've been around here for any length of time, you probably know how much I love baking with fresh milled flour. The very first loaf I baked with fresh milled flour, I immediately noticed the difference. The flavor was richer, the texture was heartier, and it  tasted like real bread. Even my husband has made the switch. He used to add rolled oats to his morning protein smoothies, then after finding oats was the culprit to his constant stomach pain, he swapped it out with conventional wheat flour. Fast forward I started milling at home, he began using fresh milled flour instead. Not only does it help keep him full, but he can genuinely taste the difference. It's become a simple swap that's stuck.

Once you've experienced the flavor and texture it brings to homemade baked goods, there's really no going back. Milling wheat berries at home means you're using the entire grain—the bran, germ, and endosperm instead of flour that's been stripped of those nutrient-rich parts during processing.

When using fresh milled flour, you get the full nutritional benefits of the whole grain. The bran, which makes up the outer layer, contains the largest amount of insoluble fiber, magnesium, thiamine, niacin, zinc, and iron. The germ, which is the seed, is a great source of B vitamins and other crucial minerals. Then there’s the middle layer, called the endosperm, and that contains protein and carbohydrates, with small amounts of B vitamins and soluble fiber. How amazing is it, that of the 44 known essential nutrients our bodies need, only four are missing from the wheat? Pretty incredible.

Khorasan and Hard White Wheat

For this loaf, I chose a blend of 75 percent hard white wheat and 25 percent khorasan wheat, and I think they complement each other beautifully. Hard white wheat has a mild, slightly sweet flavor that makes it a favorite for everyday sandwich bread. It creates a loaf that's soft, light, and has all the whole grain benefits without the strong wheat flavor. A top recommended wheat especially if you're just getting started with fresh milled flour.

The ancient grain, khorasan, brings something a little different to the table. While it's high in protein and fiber, it has a really nice rich and buttery flavor with a touch of sweetness that adds depth without overpowering the bread. It’s just the perfect addition to sandwich bread, while also giving the loaf a beautiful golden color that I just love.

Together, these two wheat varieties create a loaf that's soft enough for sandwiches, flavorful enough to enjoy with just butter, and hearty enough to remind you you're eating real, whole grain bread. If you're looking for a combination that's both nutritious and family-friendly, this blend is one I come back to again and again.

Palouse Brand wheat berries

One of the reasons I feel so confident recommending Palouse Brand is the care and quality behind every product they grow. Their wheat berries are Non-GMO Project Verified, certified Glyphosate Residue Free by The Detox Project, kosher, non-irradiated, desiccant-free, and their family farm is Food Alliance Certified. They also test their products for heavy metals including: arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury, so you can feel confident knowing you're bringing high-quality ingredients into your kitchen. It's this level of transparency and commitment to quality that keeps me coming back to Palouse Brand, and one of the many reasons I trust their wheat berries for my family's baking.

To add on, I also appreciate that Palouse Brand offers a variety of bag sizes, making it easy to choose what works best for your kitchen. Whether you're just getting started with fresh milling and want to try a smaller bag, or you're baking regularly and prefer to stock up, there's an option to fit your pantry and your baking needs. Having quality wheat berries on hand has made baking from scratch feel so much more approachable, and it's one of the reasons I keep coming back to Palouse Brand.