I still remember the first time I baked with whole wheat flour. I don’t remember what I baked, maybe banana bread, but I remember that we absolutely hated it. The baked good in question was so dry and the grainy texture of the flour was not something we were expecting. But here I was with a 5lb bag of whole wheat flour and looking for ways to use it. I’d discovered a banana bread recipe that uses a mixture of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. It took a couple of years, but that whole wheat flour finally disappeared. And by the time the bag was depleated we didn’t hate it anymore!

I found myself going back for whole wheat flour when I made those whole wheat pitas for Secret Recipe Club in the beginning of the year. This time I grabbed a bag of white whole wheat. It wasn’t an intentional purchase, but from now on it’s my flour of choice. The texture of white whole wheat flour is finer and the taste more mild.

White wheat is an “albino” type of wheat, if you will. The traditional whole wheat flour is made from red wheat. The bran in white wheat is lighter in both color and flavor. (Source: Whole Grains Council)

When it comes to breakfast foods, my husband now requests pancakes or waffles made with whole wheat flour. Using whole wheat flour makes the baked good more substantial. And hey, it’s supposed to be healthier, too!

Buttermilk Whole Wheat Waffles

Ingredients:

• 2 C white whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs, separated
• 2 C buttermilk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 tbsp butter, melted and cooled slighly

Steps:

1. In a large bowl whisk togther flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. In another bowl whisk the egg yolks with buttermilk, vanilla, and melted butter.
3. Combine wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
4. In a dry bowl beat egg whites with a hand mixer until they form stiff peaks. Genly fold egg whites into the waffle batter.
5. Into a hot greased waffle iron drop 1/3 C of batter and cook until golden.

*This recipe is adapted from https://slipnotdesigns.wordpress.com/2013/11/19/buttermilk-whole-wheat-buttermilk-belgian-waffles/*