We get this question more than almost any other, and when we posted a quick FAQ about it on Instagram, it reached nearly 20,000 people.
So let us answer it properly here, in full, as a mill that has been milling flour since 1998. The answer might surprise you: “stoneground” describes how flour is milled, not how much of the wheat berry ends up in the bag. That difference matters, so let us walk through it.
Two Ways to Mill Flour
Every wheat berry has three parts: the bran (the outer layer), the germ (the small, nutrient-rich heart) and the endosperm (the starchy centre that makes up most of the grain).
Roller milling is a widely used modern method. The grain passes through a series of steel rollers that gradually break it open and separate it into its different parts. Because the parts are separated, a miller can decide how much of each goes into the final flour.
Stone milling is the traditional method. The grain is crushed slowly between two large
stones, a technique that has been used for thousands of years. The stones are what make the flour “stoneground”, but the stones alone don’t decide how much bran and germ stays in the flour you buy. That depends on the type of flour being made.
What That Means for Our Flours
This is where we want to be precise, because not all of our flours are the same.
Our Whole Meal Wheat Flour is the one made to keep the bran and germ in. It has a deeper colour, a denser texture and a richer, nuttier flavour.
Our White Bread Flour, Cake Flour and 00 Flour are lighter and finer, so they do not keep all of the bran and germ. They are made for bakes where a softer crumb and a lighter texture matter most, and they are not the same as wholemeal. Each one has its own job: White Bread Flour for loaves, Cake Flour for cakes and 00 Flour for pizza and pasta.
All of them are milled on traditional stones, slowly, which is part of why bakers love the
natural flavour of our flour.
Is Wholemeal Healthier?
This is where nuance matters, so let us be precise rather than sweeping.
Because wholemeal flour includes the bran and germ, it generally contains more fibre, B
vitamins, iron and magnesium than white flour does. Fibre also slows digestion and can
help you feel fuller for longer.
That said, “healthier” depends on what you are baking and what you need. Wholemeal flour is not a like-for-like swap for white flour in every recipe, because the bran affects how the dough develops and rises. White flours are not “bad” either. They are simply different tools for different bakes. Wholemeal is not a magic ingredient, and anyone with specific dietary or medical needs should check with a health professional rather than rely on a blog post alone.
Why Unbleached Matters Too
Bleaching is a separate question from how a flour is milled. Unbleached flour has simply
been left to age naturally, without chemical whitening agents. It tends to be a slightly
creamier colour rather than stark white, and many bakers prefer it for both flavour and
peace of mind about what has and has not gone into their flour.
Where Eureka Mills Stands
Eureka Mills started in 1998, when two farmers built a small mill in a shed to grind wheat
from their own fields. We still mill on traditional stones, and we still believe in flour that is unbleached and as natural as we can make it.
Today we work with trusted local farmers in the fertile Southern Cape, and every bag of our flour is unbleached, GMO free and lab tested, with no preservatives or additives. That is thestory we are proud to tell: our milling tradition, our local wheat and the flavour that comes with doing things the way we always have.
How to Choose the Right Flour
A few practical pointers if you are standing in front of the shelf trying to decide:
● For rustic loaves, soda bread, crackers and anything where you want a deeper flavour
and more fibre, reach for our Whole Meal Wheat Flour.
● For delicate bakes like sponge cakes, cupcakes and cookies, reach for our Cake
Flour. It is milled extra fine for lightness and consistency.
● For sourdough, ciabatta, baguettes and everyday scratch baking, our White Bread Flour is the one to use.
● For thin, crisp pizza bases and fresh pasta, our 00 Flour is the top choice.
● Always check the label for “unbleached” and “stoneground”, and if you’re not sure
what a term means for the flour you’re buying, ask the brand.
Flour is the single biggest ingredient in almost everything you bake. It is worth knowing exactly what you are working with.
Choose well. Choose stoneground.
