Boring History for Sleep Why Bread Was the Most Important Food of the Middle Ages 🍞🕯️ | Boring History For Sleep
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Jan 24, 2026 A deep dive into how medieval stone-milled, whole-grain bread differed from modern loaves. Topics include heritage wheats, long sourdough fermentation, and how time and technique affected nutrition. The episode contrasts industrial milling and shortcuts with traditional milling, terroir, and the social craft of slow bread-making.
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Stone Milling Preserved Whole Grain Nutrition
- Stone mills ground the whole kernel, preserving bran, germ and endosperm together.
- That produced coarse, nutrient-rich flour unlike modern refined white flour.
Slow Grinding Kept Flour Nutritionally Intact
- Stone grinding was slow and gentle, keeping flour cool and oils intact.
- That preserved heat-sensitive nutrients and produced flour that fermented and baked differently.
Industrial Milling Stripped Key Nutrients
- Roller mills removed bran and germ to improve shelf life and texture.
- That process stripped most fibre, B vitamins and vitamin E from flour, reducing its nutritional value.