Every few months as millers we must sharpen our millstones. What originally drew me to baking bread was the tangible nature of the craft. In a world full of screens and abstractions, hand mixing flour and water to yield food still feels like one of the most real things one can do. Yet each stage of baking has even more elemental acts beneath it. The wheat must first grow in a field. The grain must be separated from the chaff, and ground between two stones.
Over time as the stones interact they become more polished. The more you mill, the more you must redress. This is a true rite of passage for the miller. The runner stone must get flipped to start the day, meaning you lift half a ton with a crane. The feeling is overwhelming the first time. When reality sets in that no one else is coming to get this right, you read the manual a few more times, keep your millwright on speed dial, and get to work.
Once the stone is flipped the geometry of the mill is fully visible. There’s a certain reverence in running your fingers along the furrows, carved in precise patterns that radiate outward like a compass rose, grinding the grain and guiding it out of the mill.
Historically this was done with a hammer and chisel. Now we use an air hammer. It’s like reverse sanding. You mark the smoothest areas with a crayon, work over the lands and furrows evenly, then rake a work lamp low across the surface to reveal the high spots. The mill gets assembled, run for a few minutes, then taken apart again. Repeat until the stone is right.
The dust is silica so respirators and goggles are part of the day. Two people work the stone together, one hammering, one vacuuming the surface in real time, both bent close, reading it like a text. Stone dulls, and someone has to sharpen it.
-Jon
The way we grow food matters ♥️
Earth Day is a good reminder that real food does not start on a shelf. It starts in the soil, with the people who care for it, the grain that is worth growing well, and the choices we make every day about what kind of food system we want to support.
At Proof, that is part of why milling matters to us. Why sourcing matters. Why slow fermentation matters. Why we keep coming back to the idea that good bread begins long before the loaf is baked.
We are grateful for the farmers, millers, and makers working to build a food system that is more local, more thoughtful, and more connected to the land.
Happy Earth Day from Proof🌾
Meet Patrick, the miller behind your flour.
Patrick brings a steady hand, real care, and a strong sense of responsibility to the mill every day. Since taking over this part of the work, he has helped shape the rhythm, consistency, and quality behind our flour in a big way.
The flour he mills is made from organically grown grain, grown here close to home, and built for sourdough bread. From our Bread Flour to our Country Blend, his work helps bring better flour to your kitchen and better bread to your table!
Order to try it! On proofmill.com 🌾
HEY BAKERS!
We’re launching two new flours from Proof Flour Mill: Country Blend and Proof Bread Flour.
Country Blend is the exact blend we use in our Country Sourdough. We built it to create the balance we want in that loaf: enough of the grain to keep the flavor, character, and nutritional value we care about, but not so much that the bread turns dense or heavy. The result is a flour blend that helps create a loaf with more depth and a lighter, airier crumb.
It includes Proof Bread Flour, Artisan Baker’s Craft, sifted Rouge de Bordeaux, White Sonora, and Khorasan. 70% is locally grown and stone-milled by us. Each flour plays a different role, and together they create the profile behind our signature Country Sourdough loaf.
What makes this especially useful is simple: you do not need to buy five different flours and figure out that balance yourself. You can start with one bag and work from the same foundation we use in the bakery.
We’re also releasing Proof Bread Flour, our stone-milled flour made from locally and organically grown Hard Red Spring wheat. The grain is tempered before milling, which allows us to remove more bran and create a finer flour with strong baking performance. It is a great choice for bread baking, but also a really solid everyday flour to keep in your kitchen.
Fun fact: we use 50% of this flour in pit chocolate chip cookies 🍪
Both are available now at all the Proof Bread locations! And online at proofmill.com
Do you bake at home?
For the first time, WE ARE SHIPPING Sourdough Paska beyond Arizona.
We wanted to make this available for people across the country who have visited Proof and wanted to bring a little of it home, for anyone who has been curious to try our Easter Paska, and for Ukrainians who want a small piece of home at the holiday table.
After testing different ways to ship it with friends and family, we found the best option. Because warmer weather and white icing do not always travel well, each Paska will arrive unglazed, with a container of icing on the side for you to finish at home. It helps the bread arrive in better condition and keeps the whole experience simple. And the best part - you can decorate it the way you want by using nuts, dry fruits, and your favorite sprinkles! It is great the way to share time with your kids❤️
Pre-orders are now open on proofmill.com, but the window is short. Easter is Sunday, April 5, and we need to send all shipped orders out by the end of March so they arrive in time.
If you’ve been waiting for this, now is the moment. We’d love to send a little piece of Easter your way!
Wheat has faced a lot of criticism over the past decade, and in some ways, that criticism is justified. Much of the commodity wheat used in today’s food system is grown for high yields and uniformity, milled for shelf stability, and baked as quickly as possible. When grain is treated as an industrial input, the bread made from it often feels flat, hard to digest, and more like a sugar delivery system than a true staple food.
But that version of wheat is not the whole story.
At Proof, our work is based on a different approach. Grain quality depends on how it’s grown, milled, and fermented. We use organically grown, non-GMO grain that isn’t treated with the shortcuts common in large-scale commodity systems. Since our bread consists of just flour, water, and salt, the flour must carry all the weight. That’s why we source carefully and mill fresh, keeping the whole grain intact with its oils, minerals, and character.
We are offering the flour we use. Order a bag at proofmill.com or come try our bread at @proofbread in AZ!
Every year I make holiday cookie boxes for my small cottage bakery customers, family and friends!
These boxes are made using the best ingredients but the most special ingredient is love! ❤️
There is no gift better than one you make yourself!
In this year’s sourdough cookie boxes we have:
*classic sourdough sugar cookie, decorated using a simple three-ingredient glaze
*soft glazed gingerbread cookies, a new and very delicious recipe this year
*cranberry and pistachio shortbread, my most popular recipe
*almond biscotti, decorated with a simple almond flower 🌼
*maple madeleines, always a favorite 🤎
*whole-grain sourdough shortbread, made with @proof.mill amazing rouge de Bordeaux whole grain flour
There’s a little something for everyone!
Find these recipes and tutorial reel “how to” on the main page of my Instagram @everything.sourdough and Facebook Everything Sourdough.
Make it with love this holiday season! ❤️
From my home to yours, no matter what holiday(s) you celebrate, I send you love and best wishes! 😘
#everythingsourdough #holidaycookies #bakeitwithlove #merrychristmas #cookies
Real bread, made from whole grain and time, fuels your body the way you need it, just like nature intended: steady energy, balanced nutrition, and genuine satisfaction. The “cut carbs” message only sells shortcuts and fear, but we believe that health has always been about nourishment, not restriction.
At Proof, we mill our own flour, ferment our dough slowly, shape every loaf by hands and bake with intention. Because when food is made with care, it doesn’t just fill you up, it brings you back to yourself.
Come taste what real bread feels like in your body.
We’re open daily, 7 AM – 7 PM, across the Valley: Mesa, Sheaborhood, Litchfield Park, Downtown Phoenix, and Tempe (Gilbert coming soon)
Also shipping nationwide - @proof.mill
We added White Sonora Apple Pie to Thanksgiving pre-orders!
This Thanksgiving, we’re highlighting one of the simplest and most comforting desserts there is: apple pie, baked with White Sonora flour, stone-milled in-house at Proof Mill @proof.mill
White Sonora is one of the oldest heritage wheats in North America. It’s soft, golden, and full of gentle flavor. We love it for its versatility and warmth, and this pie is our way of showing how beautifully it works in everyday baking at home. Whole wheat fresh-milled flour transforms your dessert into a source of complex carbs, which are essential for producing energy and maintaining health.
Our apple pie crust is tender, flaky, and rich in flavor, and filled with apples and warm spices. It’s a true celebration of grain and simple, timeless ingredients.
And because we know how full the holiday season can be, we’re offering two easy options this year:
🥧 Fully baked pies – ready to warm up and serve at your family table or take along to a potluck.
🧈 Unbaked crusts – available to pick up a day early so you can fill and bake your own perfect pie at home.
Whether you’re gathering with family, hosting friends, or bringing something special to share, our apple pie makes it easy to bring a handmade touch to your Thanksgiving table, without the stress.
🗓 Thanksgiving preorders are open till November 12th!
Explore the full menu we prepared for you this year. You can now preorder online and pick up your items at any Proof location on Wednesday, November 26th.
👉 Order now, link in bio!
Sourdough Whole Grain Sesame Cracker Recipe
Whole grain, healthy and delicious sesame crackers. Perfect for that charcuterie or cheese platter…or for a delicious, crunchy snack!
Be sure to use a good, flavorful, whole grain flour! I’ve used a stone-milled, Rouge de Bordeaux flour from @proof.mill@proofbread
Ingredients
* 150g whole grain flour
* ~50g (1/2 cup) toasted sesame seeds
* 6g (1 tsp) salt
* 227g (1 cup) 100% hydration sourdough starter, unfed/discard, room temperature
* 55g (1/4 cup) olive oil (for more sesame flavor you can substitute all or part of this oil for sesame oil)
Top crackers with additional:
Flaked salt
Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
Using a stand mixer (Don’t have a stand mixer, combine the dough and knead by hand) and the paddle attachment, combine flour, sesame seeds and salt. Whisk or mix to incorporate.
Add starter and olive oil and mix until your dough comes together in a ball. The dough will be slightly sticky.
Wrap dough in plastic wrap or put into an airtight container and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes, or long-ferment for up to 24-48 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Remove dough from fridge and let it come to room temperature. Cut dough in half and working with one piece of dough at a time on a lightly floured board or a piece of parchment, roll out your dough as thin as you can, 1/4” or thinner. Use additional flour as needed to keep it from sticking.
As you roll your dough, add more sesame seeds and lightly dust with flaked salt and roll it into the dough. This will help your toppings stay in place.
Transfer the dough to two half size or one full size sheet pan(s).
Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into squares or rectangles or use biscuit or cookies cutters to get round or other shaped crackers.
Bake the crackers for 25-30 minutes, rotate your pan midway during baking.
When crackers are nicely browned, remove the crackers from the oven and allow to cool on the pan. They will continue to crisp up as they cool.
Crackers will keep for 2-3 weeks in an airtight container. Freeze for longer storage. Enjoy!
#everythingsourdough #sourdough
Fresh from our ovens, shipped to your door.
Yes, you can get Proof bread anywhere in the U.S. We bake, pack, and ship our signature Khorasan and Rouge de Bordeaux centerpiece loaves (they’re like getting 3 loaves in 1).
For just $30 + shipping, you’ll receive fresh bread right to your doorstep. It’s the easiest way to bring a little slice of Arizona’s favorite bakery into your kitchen, no matter where you live.
Order now and taste why our community can’t get enough of this bread.
📦 Nationwide shipping! Check @proof.mill
Most flour on grocery shelves is the product of high-speed roller mills, which are efficient but strip the grain of the very parts that make it nourishing, flavorful, and healthy.
Stone-milled flour is different.
Proof Mill is one of the four stone mills in the state of Arizona. When grain meets stone, the bran, germ, and endosperm stay together. That means more fiber, minerals, vitamins, and natural oils remain in your flour, with nothing lost and nothing added back artificially. It’s flour the way our ancestors knew it.
Stone-milled flour carries the whole character of the grain: nutty, toasty, rich. Breads baked with it rise with a deeper aroma, rustic texture, and flavor that tells the story of both land and tradition.
Because it’s milled slowly, at cooler temperatures, fragile nutrients and delicate flavors are preserved. The flour is alive in a way roller-milled flour simply isn’t. That freshness not only makes for better baking, but it also helps many people find sourdough made with stone-milled grains easier to digest. Yes, it is not only about sourdough starter.
Yes, it’s more work. Yes, the shelf life is shorter. But every choice we make about flour comes back to the same question: what kind of food system do we want to support?
At Proof Flour Mill, we choose stone-milling because it honors the grain, supports local farmers, and gives our community flour that is both nourishing and full of soul.
✨ If you’ve never baked with fresh stone-milled flour, here’s your sign. This is the primary flour we use for our bread. Taste the difference, and share this with a friend who loves good bread.
Shop freshly milled flours → link in bio.
Follow @proofflourmill for flour info, recipes, and more!
