About Great Harvest
Because we love baking products that are as nutritious as they are delicious! Our freshly-milled whole grain wheat flour assures that we're delivering nutritional value. Studies show that the fresher foods are (such as milled grains, and vegetables and fruits) the better they are nutritionally.
We've always known fresh-ground flour tastes better. We've even done lots of blind taste tests just to prove what we've know intuitively all along! Now we know the fresh flour is better nutritionally as well. When a kernel of wheat is milled, all parts of the flour start to oxidize as they're exposed to the air — the germ, which contains free fatty acids, is particularly vulnerable to this oxidation. Using our own fresh ground flour assures that the nutritive value of our products is the best it can be.
Our Secret
Five Simple Ingredients
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Whole Wheat Flour
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Water
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Fresh Yeast
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Salt
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Something Sweet
Pure & Whole
100% Whole Wheat Ground Daily
Five ingredients are the hallmark of our legendary whole grain breads. Fresh-ground whole wheat flour, water, fresh yeast, salt and something sweet (usually a local honey). At Great Harvest, we believe bread is best when you keep it simple. It's even better when you use the highest quality ingredients you can find. You can taste and feel the difference.
All of our baked goods are made from scratch - no mixes or frozen doughs. We mill our whole wheat flour fresh daily on our stone mill right here at the bakery. Whole wheat kernels are poured into one end of the mill and are ground into 100% whole wheat flour. There is absolutely no separation of flour components; nothing added or taken out — just pure fresh flour from the whole grain.
We Know Bread
The secret to making phenomenal bread is in the wheat kernels. We know where every kernel comes from. That's because we have been purchasing our premium whole wheat from family-owned farms for more than 30 years.
The farmers who produce our whole wheat know Great Harvest is a tough client. Every year we test the crop for its protein content, moisture level, baking qualities and, of course, its distinctive taste. The high quality wheat we purchase allows us to bake without using artificial dough conditioners to boost loaf size.
Our growers know that the slightest variation in the wheat crop can completely change the flavor, size, and shape of a loaf. Consistency is the key. That's why we perform at least one hundred test bakes each year.
We Know Wheat
Great Harvest wheat grows on the arid high plains of Montana. This legendary region is known for growing some of the highest quality wheat in the world. Our farmers send their harvest samples to suppliers for preliminary testing. Test lots that meet specified criteria are then shipped to Great Harvest's research and development bakery in Dillon, Montana.
We mill each sample of wheat into fresh ground whole grain flour. Then we begin measuring, mixing, weighing, kneading, and baking. Understanding the subtle nuances of the wheat, what great dough should feel like, how it should bake, and ultimately how it should taste is what distinguishes Great Harvest products.