How to use Ancient Grains and Heritage Wheat
Flour used to be a staple in our ancestors’ diets. But over time, three major food system shifts have changed it dramatically:
- Modern wheat has been genetically altered to maximize yield, not nutrition or digestibility
- Widespread pesticide use, like glyphosate, has become the norm
- Harsh industrial milling strips away most nutrients to create refined white flour with a long shelf life, and then a few synthetic vitamins are added back in (but you can’t recreate the whole food matrix)
It’s no surprise that so many people struggle to digest flour and bread today!
At Nourish, we intentionally avoid all three.
We use heritage and ancient grains, grown without pesticides, and freshly stone-mill them to preserve the full nutrient profile, just as they were meant to be.
Heritage wheat. Ancient grains. Freshly milled. No nutrients and fiber stripped away.
However, it’s important to understand that this flour behaves differently, and that’s exactly the point.
Because it’s truly whole grain, with all nutrients intact, it will naturally produce more rustic loaves and recipes compared to ultra-processed white flour. Old-fashioned grain creates an old-fashioned texture.
So baking with heritage wheat is a little different, but the payoff is worth it.
You’ll get better flavor, improved digestibility, and far more nutrients.
When searching for recipes, look specifically for whole wheat or freshly milled flour recipes. Most recipes online are developed using refined white flour, which behaves very differently.
To help you get the best results, here are a few key sourdough baking tips:
1. Water is your friend
This flour absorbs more water than typical white flour. Start with higher hydration and adjust as needed, you can always add a bit of flour during shaping if the dough feels too sticky.
2. Build gluten strength early
Heritage wheat benefits from early structure. Use a mixer, or knead/slap-and-fold by hand to develop strength upfront.
3. Watch your fermentation
Bulk fermentation tends to move faster due to the natural enzymes in freshly milled flour.
→ Expect ~4–6 hours for bulk fermentation
→ Follow with a ~24-hour cold ferment for best results
4. Bake from cold + score deep
Keep your dough cold right up until baking, and use a confident, deep score for proper oven spring.
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Looking for recipes?
>> Link to our Current Recipe List Using our Heritage Wheat and Ancient Grains!
And remember, when choosing bread and baking recipes on the internet, use recipes for freshly milled whole-wheat flour, or for specific flour types (like ancient grain spelt flour or rye flour).
ROUGE DE BORDEAUX WHEAT (Heritage Wheat Flour)
A heritage wheat originating from the Bordeaux region of France, and was the original grain used for some of country’s most iconic breads. Rouge de Bordeaux is prized for its high protein content, deep, nutty aroma, incredible taste and flavor, rich color, and excellent baking performance, lending rustic charm and a taste of the French countryside to your kitchen.
With a protein content just over 13%, Rouge de Bordeaux flour performs beautifully in sourdough artisan loaves and sourdough baked goods. Because it’s a heritage grain that’s traditionally stone milled, it retains a bit more bran and germ (adding nutrients, depth of flavor, and a naturally darker crumb) relative to the common bleached and finely milled flours many are used to today.
Traditional Uses of Rouge Flour:
Breads
- Sourdough artisan loaves – classic French-style sourdoughs with nutty, rich flavor.
- Rustic country breads – dense, flavorful loaves typical of rural French bakeries.
- Baguettes – produces a chewy, deeply flavored crumb.
- Pain de campagne – traditional French country bread, often mixed with other flours.
Desserts
- Sourdough Cookies
- Banana Breads or Other Quick Breads - combines well with lighter flours for softer loaves while keeping deep flavor.
Savory Items
- Pizza dough – artisan-style crust with rich flavor.
- Homemade Tortillas
- Sourdough Pasta
>> Whole Grain Sourdough Bread Loaf Recipe Using Rouge
TURKEY RED WHEAT (Heritage Flour)
A historic heritage wheat brought from Russia to the American Midwest by Mennonite farmers in the late 1800s, Turkey Red helped turn the plains of Kansas into America’s breadbasket. (Here is a quick YouTube video outlining the history of Turkey Red Wheat)
With its nutty, slightly sweet flavor and warm golden hue, Turkey Red lends a hearty, wholesome character to breads and baked goods, a true taste of rustic prairie charm and America’s early breadmaking heritage.
With a protein content around 12–13%, Turkey Red flour performs beautifully in sourdough and yeast breads, offering excellent structure and a rich, nutty flavor. Because it’s a heritage grain that’s traditionally stone milled, it retains more bran and germ (adding nutrients, depth of flavor, and a naturally golden hue) relative to the common bleached and finely milled flours many are used to today.
Traditional Uses for Turkey Red Wheat Flour:
***NOTE: This is a whole grain, so we recommend starting using it as a 50-50 blend with your preferred organic all purpose flour***
Breads
- Irish Soda Bread (with buttermilk)
> Check out a Traditional Irish Soda Bread recipe using Turkey Red and a Sourdough version here!
- Sourdough Loaves
- Yeast-leavened Loaves
- Sandwich Bread
- Dinner rolls
Desserts
- Muffins and quick breads – slightly nutty flavor and richer crumb.
- Pancakes & waffles
Savory Items
- Pizza dough – strong gluten produces a chewy, flavorful base.
- Pasta & Noodles
Specialty Uses
- Blended artisan breads – pairs well with lighter flours to balance structure and tenderness.
SPELT (Ancient Grain)
One of Europe’s oldest cultivated wheats, spelt has been grown for over 5,000 years, sustaining ancient civilizations from the Fertile Crescent to the European Alps. Revered for its hardy nature and nutty, slightly sweet flavor, spelt has nourished generations while remaining largely unchanged by modern industrial breeding.
With its mild, slightly nutty flavor and moderate gluten content, spelt flour works beautifully on its own in quick breads, pancakes, muffins, cookies, flatbreads, and pizza dough (recipes that don’t require a strong, elastic gluten network).
However, since its gluten is more delicate, spelt does not perform well alone in traditional sourdough or high-rise yeast breads. It shines when blended with stronger flours like Turkey Red or Rouge de Bordeaux, adding tenderness, flavor, and a touch of ancient grain character to artisan loaves and rolls.
Traditional Uses for Spelt Flour:
Breads
- Rustic spelt sourdough – often blended with stronger flours for structure, producing a denser but delicious tasting loaf
- Spelt sandwich bread
- Flatbreads – European-style spelt flatbreads or Italian piadine.
Breakfast & Porridge
- Spelt porridge – warm and creamy, can be sweet or savory.
- Spelt pancakes and waffles – tender, nutty, slightly sweet.
Savory Items
- Spelt crackers – crisp or thin, often seasoned with herbs, or spices.
- Spelt pasta or noodles – traditional European-style fresh pasta or gnocchi.
Specialty Uses
- Muffins and bars – adds a delicate crumb and nutty flavor.
- Blended artisan breads – combines well with stronger flours to produce tender, flavorful loaves.
>> Check out this Ancient Grain Pie Crust Recipe
>> Check out this Spelt Flour Pancake recipe
MILLET (Ancient Grain)
One of the world’s oldest cultivated grains, millet is an ancient gluten-free cereal grain that's been grown for thousands of years across Africa and India, nourishing generations with its wholesome, versatile character.
With its naturally sweet flavor and tender texture, millet flour works beautifully on its own in porridges, hot cereals, flatbreads, crepes, pancakes, muffins, cookies, and tender quick breads (recipes that don’t rely on gluten for structure.)
However, since it is naturally gluten-free, millet flour does not stand alone for yeast-leavened or sourdough breads, but it shines when blended with wheat, spelt, or other flours to add lightness, subtle sweetness, and a touch of heritage grain goodness to loaves, rolls, and other baked goods.
Traditional Recipes that use millet flour =
Breads
- Millet flatbreads – traditional African or Indian unleavened breads.
- Quick breads – tender gluten-free loaves or muffins.
- Gluten-free sandwich breads – blended with other flours for structure.
- Cornbread-style loaves – adding millet for lightness and sweetness.
Breakfast & Porridge
- Millet porridge – creamy, naturally sweet, and nourishing.
- Millet pancakes – tender, slightly sweet, can be made gluten-free.
- Millet crepes – thin, delicate, and naturally light.
Savory Items
- Millet crackers – crisp, gluten-free, often with seeds or herbs.
- Millet flatbread wraps – soft or lightly toasted for sandwiches.
Specialty Uses
- Gluten-free baked goods – cakes, cookies, and bars using millet as a base.
- Blended artisan breads – adds lightness, subtle sweetness, and ancient grain character.
>> Check out this Gluten-Free Millet Flour Banana Bread Recipe
>> Check out this Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Recipe
RYE (Ancient Grain)
One of Europe’s oldest cultivated grains, rye has been grown for thousands of years, especially across Northern and Eastern Europe, where it sustained communities through harsh climates. Revered for its hardiness and distinctive earthy, slightly tangy flavor, rye has remained largely unchanged by modern industrial breeding.
With its earthy, slightly tangy flavor and low gluten content, rye flour works beautifully on its own in dense, rustic breads, flatbreads, pancakes, crackers, and muffins (recipes that don’t rely on strong gluten for structure).
However, because rye has limited gluten, it does not perform well alone in airy sourdough or yeast-leavened breads. It shines when blended with stronger flours like Turkey Red or Rouge de Bordeaux, adding flavor, moisture, and a touch of ancient grain character to loaves, rolls, and artisan breads.
Traditional Recipes that use rye flour =
Breads
- Pumpernickel bread – dense, dark, slightly sweet German bread.
- Sourdough rye – a blend with wheat for structure, with tangy flavor (or just use rye for a denser loaf)
- Rye sandwich bread – classic Eastern European rye, sometimes with caraway seeds.
- Borodinsky bread – Russian rye bread flavored with coriander and molasses.
- Flatbreads and crispbreads – Scandinavian-style knäckebröd or traditional rye flatbreads.
Breakfast & Porridge
- Rye porridge – a warm, creamy dish, common in Nordic and Eastern European cuisine.
- Rye pancakes (Rye flapjacks) – hearty pancakes often served with savory toppings.
Savory Items
- Rye crackers – thin, crisp, often with seeds like caraway, fennel, or sesame.
- Rye noodles or dumplings – traditional in some Slavic and Germanic cuisines.
>> Check out this Rye Chocolate Cake with Orange Buttercream Frosting Recipe
>> Check out this 100% Rye Sourdough Loaf Recipe
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