2018 Kneading Conference

Surprising evidence was presented in 2010 that provided evidence of humans using stone grinding tools to produce flour from plants as long as 30,000 years ago. This makes the stone mill one of the very oldest tools known to man.

The stone mill evolved slowly, then quickly, for another 29,830 years, at which point it had become an ubiquitous fixture of civilization, dotting the countrysides of Europe and the Americas, and making itself a focus of the industrial revolution.

Then, quite suddenly, it was being replaced everywhere, by ever-larger roller mills for producing pure white flour, and by a variety of smaller, steel-based pulverizers that seemed to overcome some of the disadvantages of stone milling.

That fundamental change placed into the hands of very few industrialists the decision of which grains were to be planted. As is well understood today, this led to the loss of diversity in grain varieties, and to the loss of tradition in the use of all grains except wheat.

Today, the Landrace Grains that were almost lost due to the concentration of milling power into a few hands are making a comeback. And with them, the stone mill is making a comeback. This talk focuses on one class of mills that is a big part of that comeback, the countertop composite stone mill. Now every baker, whether working professionally or in her home kitchen, now produce top-quality, no-sifting-required flours from local and heritage grains. And the kitchen equipped with a stone mill sees its capability of working with fresh ingredients for savory dishes greatly enhanced. And, most importantly, Landrace Grains produced on a scale too small to be of interest to industrial mills are becoming a high-value, sought-after product, creating a market that favors the producer.

With a new wave of offerings by ambitious mill makers, and keen to achieve the increasing degree of freshness in food that consumers demand, culinary professionals and homemakers alike are discovering the versatility, affordability, and unbeatable milling performance of a tool that has been absent in modern kitchens for almost a century.

The talk will address uses of the small-scale stone mill around the kitchen that a) make it possible to utilize the offerings of small-scale local farmers b) broaden the range of ingredients available to the kitchen without the usual inventory risks c) make it possible to get fuller flavor from foods at a lower cost, hence reducing overall food costs, and d) make good on the promise of today’s culinary pros to serve their customers only the freshest foods. And it will focus on the advantages that THIS has for everyone in the Grain Revolution that is picking up around the world.