Stone mills once meant weekend specialty loaves. A new wave of regional millers is aiming at Tuesday sandwich bread instead — milder wheat, steadier supply, and prices that school cafeterias can consider.
Bakers report longer fermentation windows that forgive busy schedules. The flour absorbs water slowly, which means dough can rest while staff prep soups and salads.
Farmers gain a reliable buyer for soft wheat that commodity elevators undervalue. Contracts now run on seasonal forecasts rather than spot panic after a rainy harvest.
Taste panels still debate crust color. What matters to millers is consistency: bags that behave the same from January to June so apprentices are not reinventing formulas each week.
Several co-ops now host open milling nights. Neighbors leave with a kilo of flour and a short lesson on why “local wheat” is not a single flavor.