Artisan Baker Karis Prusak Embraces Home-Milled Flour for Her Sourdough Bread Business
Local artisan bakery now utilizes homegrown wheat for sourdough loaves
Karis Prusak, a resident of Ulm, Wyoming, has been making a name for herself in the baking world with her artisanal sourdough bread. Her dedication to using home-milled flour sets her apart, offering a range of benefits for her customers.
Prusak's sourdough bread business, which was featured on our platform in November 2023, is built on the foundation of freshness and quality. To ensure the bread's freshness, Prusak sends wheat to the store on Tuesday and Friday mornings. The wheat is grown on her family ranch near Ulm and stored in a clean, rodent-proof granary until needed.
When it comes to milling the wheat, Prusak uses an electric stone grinder, a method that allows her to mill the wheat into flour just before baking. This approach is crucial, as too much heat during the process can cause nutrient loss. Prusak uses approximately 20-25% of her own flour in her sourdough bread, with the balance being commercially milled.
The benefits of using home-milled flour in sourdough bread are numerous. For one, home-milled flour retains more vitamins, minerals, and fiber compared to commercially milled flour. This is because the process of commercial milling typically removes the bran and germ, which contain significant nutritional value. Home milling allows Prusak to grind the whole grain, preserving these nutrients.
Freshly milled flour also contributes to a more robust and wholesome taste in sourdough bread, enhancing the overall aroma and texture. With home milling, Prusak has full control over the types of grains she uses, allowing for greater versatility in creating unique flavor profiles and textures.
Moreover, the natural enzymes present in whole grains, particularly when freshly milled, may aid in breaking down some of the starches and proteins, potentially improving digestibility for some consumers.
Prusak's sourdough bread is well-tolerated by individuals who are gluten sensitive, making it a popular choice among health-conscious consumers. Her bread is available at Cross E Dairy & Freedom Foods store in Sheridan, and she also offers dry starter for people to make their own sourdough starter.
Recently, Prusak has started using some of her own, chemical-free wheat to make flour for her sourdough bread business. This move is part of her commitment to providing consumers with more nutrition in her sourdough bread. With her new oven, which can bake up to 12 loaves at a time, Prusak is able to meet the growing demand for her artisanal bread.
[1] Whole Grains Council. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://wholegrainscouncil.org/ [2] Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (n.d.). Refining grains. Retrieved from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/grains/refining-grains/ [3] Nutrition.gov. (n.d.). Whole Grains. Retrieved from https://www.nutrition.gov/health/dietary-guidance/grains/whole-grains [4] American Heart Association. (n.d.). Whole Grains. Retrieved from https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/whole-grains [5] Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (n.d.). Whole Grains: The Whole Truth. Retrieved from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/whole-grains/the-whole-truth/
- Karis Prusak's commitment to using home-milled flour in her sourdough bread business not only sets her apart from other bakers, but also offers numerous health benefits, as freshly milled flour retains more vitamins, minerals, and fiber compared to commercially milled flour.
- Prusak's artisanal sourdough bread, made with her dedicated approach to milling whole grains, is well-tolerated by individuals who are gluten sensitive, making it a popular choice among health-conscious consumers.
- As part of her mission to provide consumers with more nutrition in her sourdough bread, Prusak has recently started using some of her own, chemical-free wheat to make flour.
- In addition to her sourdough bread business, Prusak's passion for home milling extends to other areas of her lifestyle, such as the home-and-garden small-business she runs, where she offers healthy-cooking classes educating fellow entrepreneurs on the benefits of freshly milled flour.
