What are ancient grains?

Ancient grains are cereals and seeds that have remained largely unchanged by selective breeding over the last several hundred years. Examples include einkorn, spelt, quinoa, amaranth, teff, and buckwheat. They are prized for their nutritional density, unique flavors, and historical significance.

Which ancient grains are gluten-free?

Nine ancient grains are naturally gluten-free: amaranth, buckwheat, chia, quinoa, teff, sorghum, common millet, foxtail millet, and hemp. Oats are gluten-free if uncontaminated. Einkorn, emmer, spelt, khorasan, and rye all contain gluten.

What is the best ancient grain for baking?

Einkorn is considered the best ancient grain for baking bread and pastries due to its buttery flavor and workable gluten structure. Spelt is another excellent choice that substitutes 1:1 for modern wheat flour. For gluten-free baking, sorghum flour and teff flour are the most versatile options.

Where can I buy ancient grain flour?

Ancient grain flour is available from brands like Bob's Red Mill, King Arthur Baking, and Jovial Foods on Amazon. For the freshest flour, consider buying a home grain mill and milling your own from whole grain berries. Popular options include the NutriMill Impact electric mill, the Country Living hand-crank mill, and KitchenAid grain-mill attachments.

Which ancient grain has the most protein?

Hemp seeds top the list at roughly 31.6g of protein per 100g, followed by chia seeds at 16.5g and quinoa at 14.1g. Quinoa is notable as a complete protein with all nine essential amino acids. Amaranth (13.6g), teff (13.3g), and buckwheat (13.3g) also provide substantial plant protein per 100g.

Is Sorghum gluten-free?

Sorghum is Gluten-free. Notable nutrients: High antioxidants, gluten-free.

Where does Sorghum come from?

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) was first cultivated around ~3,500 BCE, Eastern Sudan. Today it is grown across Africa, Asia, Americas.

How do you cook Sorghum?

Use a 3:1 water-to-grain ratio. Bring water to a boil, add Sorghum, cover, and simmer for 50-60 min. Common dishes include Grain bowl, porridge, soup, popped sorghum.

How much protein is in Sorghum?

Per 100g (raw), Sorghum contains 11.3 g of protein and 329 kcal of energy.

What does Sorghum taste like?

Sorghum has a Mild, slightly sweet, neutral flavor profile.

All grains · Heritage Grain

Sorghum

Sorghum bicolor

Bronze AgeGluten-freeAfrica, Asia, Americas329 kcal/100gMild, slightly sweet, neutral

Sorghum bread found in Predynastic Egyptian graves dated to around 5,100 years ago is on display in the Egyptian Museum in Turin, one of the few surviving baked items from antiquity.

Origin & History

Domesticated by the Neolithic Butana Group culture in eastern Sudan around 3,500 BCE, as evidenced by distinctive spikelet impressions in pottery, sorghum is Africa's most important indigenous cereal. It spread to India by 2,000 BCE and to West Africa by 1,000 BCE, becoming a staple of semi-arid regions across Africa, Asia, and eventually the Americas.

Discovery~3,500 BCE, Eastern Sudan

Time PeriodBronze Age

Origin Coords15.55°, 32.53°

Current CultivationAfrica, Asia, Americas

Related SpeciesSorghum halepense

Latest from the Blog

2026-07-29 · 1354 words

Gluten-FreeRecipeBakingBeginner-Friendly

Gluten-Free Bread Recipe: A Soft Loaf That Actually Slices

This gluten free bread recipe bakes a soft, sliceable sandwich loaf with psyllium and a rice flour blend. No gums, no crumbling, no bread machine.

2026-07-29 · 1309 words

Gluten-FreeRecipeBakingBeginner-Friendly

Gluten-Free Cookies: Recipes and the Rules That Stop Crumbling

Gluten free cookies that hold together: one master dough for chocolate chip, sugar, and peanut butter, plus the chilling trick that stops crumbling.

2026-07-29 · 1280 words

Gluten-FreeExplainerBeginner-Friendly

Gluten-Free Breakfast: Easy Ideas, Grains, and What to Avoid

A gluten-free breakfast guide with easy ideas, the safe grains to build on, and the foods to skip, so you can start the day well without gluten.

View all articles →

Home Grain Mills: Mill Your Own Flour

Nothing beats the flavor and nutrition of freshly milled flour. These are the best home grain mills for every budget and every ancient grain on this page.

Best Electric

NutriMill Impact

Compact high-speed electric mill from NutriMill, the brand most home bakers buy. Stainless-steel milling heads grind any whole grain into fresh flour in seconds. Quiet enough for daily baking, fine enough for delicate einkorn or teff.

$249 Buy on Amazon

KitchenAid stand-mixer grain mill attachment

Best for KitchenAid Owners

KitchenAid Mill Attachment

Metal grain mill attachment that mounts to any KitchenAid stand mixer. If you already own one, it's the cheapest way into home milling: no countertop space, no second appliance. Adjustable burrs from coarse to fine.

$60 Buy on Amazon

Best Hand-Crank

Country Living Grain Mill

Built like a tank: cast aluminum body, hardened steel burrs, lifetime warranty. No electricity needed. Grinds any grain including corn and dried legumes. A serious homesteader's mill that lasts generations.

$495 Buy on Amazon

WonderMill Junior compact hand-crank grain mill

Best Compact Hand-Mill

WonderMill Junior Hand Mill

Compact hand-crank mill for flour, wheat, and gluten-free grains, nuts, seeds, oily foods, and spices. Adjustable burr settings deliver coarse to fine flour without electricity.

$279 Buy on Amazon

Best Budget

Victoria Manual Grain Mill

Cast-iron hand mill under $50, clamps to any countertop. Surprisingly effective for small-batch milling of softer grains like einkorn, oats, and buckwheat. Great entry point before investing in an electric mill.

$42 Buy on Amazon

As an affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. We only recommend mills we've researched and would buy ourselves.

Bread Machines: Fresh Loaves on Autopilot

A machine kneads, proves, and bakes while you get on with your day, and it handles whole-grain and heritage flours beautifully. Five picks for every budget, including the Zojirushi we run in our own kitchen. See the full comparison →

The One We Own · Top Pick

Zojirushi Home Bakery Supreme

The machine running in our own kitchen. Dual kneading paddles work dense whole-grain and heritage doughs properly, the horizontal pan bakes a real rectangular sandwich loaf, and the custom course lets you tune knead and rise times for spelt and einkorn.

$369 Buy on Amazon

Premium · Gluten-Free Course

Zojirushi Virtuoso Plus

Everything the Supreme does, plus a heater in the lid for more even browning and a dedicated gluten-free course that handles GF batters the way they need: one mix, one rise, no punch-downs. The best GF sandwich bread a machine can make.

$455 Buy on Amazon

Cuisinart stainless steel automatic bread maker

Trusted Mid-Range

Cuisinart Bread Maker

The crowd favorite: nearly seventeen thousand reviews and Amazon's own "Overall Pick" badge. Twelve straightforward menu options, three crust shades, and the brand's usual parts availability. For everyday sandwich bread it simply works.

$120 Buy on Amazon

Best Budget Stainless

OSIPOTO 17-in-1

A step up in build for under $100: stainless body, ceramic non-stick pan, and 17 programs including whole-wheat and dough-only cycles. The ceramic pan releases dense whole-grain loaves more cleanly than the usual coatings.

$98 Buy on Amazon

Cheapest Way In

Elite Gourmet Programmable

The right answer to "am I a bread machine person?" before spending real money. Nineteen presets including a genuine gluten-free cycle, three loaf sizes, and a 4.5-star average across more than eight thousand reviews.

$75 Buy on Amazon

As an affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. The Zojirushi Supreme is the machine we run in our own kitchen. New to machine baking? Start with our master loaf recipe.