At the stone mill

When we talk about good bread, we don’t just mean the result.
We mean the journey to get there.

Part of this journey takes us to the Waldviertel region, to a square farmstead in Burgstall. This is where the stone mill owned by our long-standing partner Christian Rossnagl is located. From the outside, it looks unremarkable — no industrial construction, no high-tech equipment. But this is precisely where something essential begins for us: the flour.

Inside the mill, two heavy granite stones are at work. One rests, the other rotates above it. Slowly, powerfully, without haste. The grain is not ground, but gently opened. The stones remain cool, barely warmer than 45 degrees Celsius.

Why is this important?
Because heat takes away from the grain what we want to preserve in bread: aroma, enzymes, vitality.

Flour is more than just a commodity

In large industrial mills, grain is processed between steel rollers — quickly, efficiently, and in a standardized manner. This process generates high temperatures, and the flour loses much of what originally made it special. Flour from a stone mill is different. It contains the sprout, the husk, and the essential oils of the grain. It doesn’t feel neutral, but alive. When we bake with it, we create bread with depth, structure, and a delicate nutty sweetness.

And: No two grinding processes are the same. Air, weather, stone, grain — everything matters. For us, this is not a disadvantage, but part of the quality.

Knowing where our flour comes from

The stone mill works slowly. It grinds around 50 to 75 kilograms of grain per hour. By industrial standards, that’s not much. For us, it’s just right. Because every batch remains traceable. When we bring emmer, we get emmer back. When we bring spelt, it’s exactly that spelt.

This is crucial for our ancient grains, which we grow and source together with partner farms throughout Austria. For us, origin is not just a buzzword, but a responsibility. That’s why we have all our ancient grains milled here by Christian.

Why we let flour rest

After grinding, we give the flour time to rest. Freshly ground flour is full of energy. It has an intense aroma, tastes “green,” and often behaves unpredictably when baked. The dough becomes stickier, less elastic, and the bread flatter.

Only when the flour has rested for several weeks or months it does change. Oxygen reacts with its components, the gluten becomes more stable, and the dough gains tension. This is exactly what we need for good bread: structure, elasticity, and aroma.

For us, the stone mill is not a romantic detail. It is a conscious decision. Against speed. Against uniformity. For taste, origin, and craftsmanship.

Here, it’s not about optimization, but understanding. Our bread doesn’t start in the bakery — it starts with the grain. And that’s exactly what you can taste in all of our products.