our stone mills
Since opening in 2012, milling our own flour has always been a part of the how and why we do what we do.
In the beginning we imported an Austrian ostiroller mill. From it we learned so much about the milling process: the stones, sifting, grind, extraction… different grains, different possibilities.
After 4 years of milling & baking, we heard that our friends at Elmore Mountain Bread in Vermont and Boulted Bread in North Carolina decided to take the art and craft of mill making into their own hands and formed New American Stone Mills. The craftsmanship, integrity, accessibility and most importantly the quality of flour these mills produced was/is unparalleled in our experience. We immediately got one the first models (number 4 I think?): a 26” pink Salisbury granite stand alone, made down in North Carolina. While the quality remained exceptional, we soon realized we could not mill the volume of flour we would need to continue the process of turning our bakery towards 100% house-milled breads and pastries.
Another 4 years would pass before we contacted Andrew in Vermont—now the sole owner/operator of New American—and put our order in for the largest mill they have: a whopping 48” grey Barre granite, with attached sifter! Previously, every pound of sifted flour was hand scooped into a separate ”eccentric” sifter. With this new set up we can mill and sift in one fell swoop. We can also mill two to three times the volume in the same amount of time! What this means for our breads and pastries is an increase in the use of the freshest stone ground flours, which allows us to continue to develop and strengthen our relationship with farmers in our region who are growing unique grains on a smaller scale. Along with other like minded millers, bakers, farmers, and others, we will create a new grain culture in our region.