Have you ever had Cream of Wheat for breakfast? I had almost forgotten about this dish until I saw someone post a recipe for it on social media recently. Her suggestion to make it with fresh-milled flour was kind of revelatory to me – Why haven’t I thought to make that?! How could I have forgotten about this breakfast?
When I was a kid, my mom made it for me almost every morning. I knew it as “farina,” and when she was cooking it on the stove, I’d ask her to “make it lumpy” – finding clumps of chewy wheat in the bowl was just the ultimate morning treat. I guess most people would prefer it nice and smooth!
Another thing I loved was getting to sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top. We had a cinnamon sugar shaker in the shape of an orange man that we used during my childhood. (My mom still has the shaker, more than 40 years later.)
At some point I began to prefer other breakfast things, like cereal or, more recently, eggs. I like having a breakfast that will keep my blood sugar stable, so I haven’t bought Cream of Wheat from the store in a very long time.
Now that I have a mill, I can make this using the whole grain – which includes the bran, endosperm, and the germ – all packed with nutrients, fiber, and even some healthy fats. This seems to not spike my blood sugar the way store-bought might.
How to make farina with freshly-milled flour
So, I’ve started making farina and have enjoyed it a few times recently. I like it a little thicker than the recipe I found online. It’s so easy – here’s how I make it. I like to use hard white wheat berries better than hard red wheat berries for this; soft white wheat berries might be good, too.
Cream of Wheat with Fresh-Milled Flour
Materials
- 1/4 cup wheat berries (this makes ~1/3 cup of fresh-milled flour)
- 1.25 cup milk
- 1 pinch salt
- Toppings that you like
Instructions
- Set the mill on a coarse setting (Not the most coarse.)
- Grind up about 1/3 cup of wheat berries.
- Heat up one cup of milk on the stove on Medium-High.
- Add your flour, as well as a little salt. Stir together.
- Cook for a couple of minutes, turn the heat down, and cover for a couple minutes to let it thicken.
- Add more milk if you wish, and serve it with your toppings!
Notes
- I like to whisk in one egg right into the pot once it has thickened. Crack the egg, and stir well until the egg is incorporated. Cover until the egg is cooked (usually just a minute or two!)
I like it with cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top, sometimes with fruit on top, with eggs. You can make it savory or sweet. It’s healthy, comforting, and warms your belly!
PS – If you don’t have a flour mill, you might be able to find freshly-milled flour locally. For example, someone at our farmer’s market sells it! Enjoy.
I forgot about the lumps.