From Grain to Table

Most bread today is made with all-purpose or refined flour, a product that looks and behaves very differently from the grain it comes from. When wheat is refined, the bran and germ are removed, leaving primarily the starchy endosperm behind. This process strips away the grain’s fiber, natural oils, enzymes, and the vast majority of its original nutrients.

In fact, whole wheat contains over 40 essential nutrients, including fiber, B vitamins, natural folate, vitamin E, magnesium, selenium, zinc, and beneficial fatty acids. When flour is refined, more than 40 of these nutrients are lost, leaving a product that is shelf-stable, uniform, and easy to mass-produce, but nutritionally incomplete.

Refined flour became popular in the early 20th century not because it was more nourishing, but because it lasted longer on shelves, traveled better, and behaved more predictably in industrial baking. To address the nutrient loss, refined flour is often “enriched” with a small number of synthetic vitamins added back after processing. While this improves appearance on a label, it does not restore the grain’s original complexity or structure.

At 813 Bread Co., we believe bread was never meant to be reduced to a shelf-stable commodity.

We mill whole wheat berries fresh, just before baking, keeping the bran, germ, and endosperm fully intact. This preserves the grain’s natural fiber, oils, enzymes, and full nutrient profile. These elements are essential to how the body interacts with food.

Fresh-milled flour is sometimes referred to as “living flour”, not because it is alive in a literal sense, but because it retains the grain’s original vitality. The natural enzymes and fiber remain present, and the grain’s structure has not been altered by months of storage or industrial processing. When bread is made this way, many people report it feels more satisfying and easier to enjoy than bread made from highly refined flour.

While every body is different, it has been widely noted that some individuals who have experienced discomfort with modern bread tolerate traditionally prepared, fresh-milled bread more comfortably. This is not a claim of treatment or cure, but a reflection of how profoundly processing methods can change a food.

Our bread is made with simple ingredients, no preservatives, and no artificial additives, allowing the grain to do what it was designed to do…nourish.

Throughout history, bread was not just food; it was sustenance. When Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” bread represented daily provision, nourishment, and dependence on God. He later referred to Himself as the Bread of Life, reminding us that what sustains us physically is deeply connected to what sustains us spiritually.

At 813 Bread Co., we honor that meaning by returning bread to its original purpose. From grain to table, nothing stripped away.