If your experience of whole grains translates into heavy, bitter, stale, or (in the case of pasta) mushy, take heart. A revolution in whole-grain flours and a better understanding of the techniques needed to create delicious whole-grain baked goods that are as good to eat as they are good for you has taken place in the last few years. With new flours like white whole wheat, white wheat bran, and white spelt, whole-grain baking has finally come into its own. And here to help health-conscious cooks take advantage of the new developments is The Official Hodgson Mill Whole-Grain Baking Companion. From scrumptious breads like Multigrain Currant Loaf, Sourdough Rye, and California Soy Crunch to White Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins and Perfect Buckwheat Pancakes, from Cranberry-Marmalade Scones to Cardamom Coffee Braid, 400 recipes present the best of whole-grain baking in easy-to-follow step by-step format.

Readers will be introduced to whole-grain flours (including the many kinds of whole wheat, rye, corn, spelt, oat, soy, rice, bean, buckwheat, flax, barley, quinoa, millet and more) and learn special tips for using each kind of flour, what its nutrient value is, how to store it to preserve freshness, and how to combine different flours for maximum flavor and nutrition. A chapter on baking basics takes readers with illustrated step-by-step directions through the bread making process, whether they-re creating whole-grain baked goods by hand, in a bread machine, or with a food processor, and illustrates techniques like braiding.

All of this comes from the authority of Hodgson Mill, a flour company that has been grinding whole grains for 120 years.