Old Mill of Guilford

Posted by Nikki Miller-Ka on 21 January 2011 | 1 Comments

This week I took a trip to Old Mill of Guilford in Oak Ridge to pick up some flour. Around Christmastime, a coworker suggested that the pancake mix from Old Guilford is a good local product to give someone for a gift. I’d heard of the Old Mill, seen some of the products at the Piedmont Farmers Market, but had never purchased any. I decided to do a little research about the Old Guilford Mill and see what everyone was raving about. There, you can find cornmeal, grits, flours (wheat, rice, and spelt), mixes for pancakes, hushpuppies (get the one with the onion — it’s amazing!), gingerbread, scones, muffins, and cookies.

To me, Old Mill of Guilford stands for OMG, as in OMG (oh my goodness) this stuff is delicious! Open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, the Old Mill is a great idea for a day trip that could be combined with making something fun in the evening with your family. I chose to make pasta with my flour. Pasta dough is relatively easy to make, and if you have a pasta maker, that makes the process even easier. 

Pasta Dough 
Makes 1 pound

• 2 cups Old Mill of Guilford unbleached flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 eggs
• 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

In a stand-up electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour and salt. Add the eggs, one at a time, until each is incorporated. Periodically, scrape the sides of the bowl down to incorporate the flour into the mixture. Pour the olive oil into the mixture and continue to incorporate all the flour until it forms a ball. If your mixture is dry, add 1 Tbs. of water at a time to moisten your dough. Continue to knead the dough for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until the dough is elastic and smooth. Cut the dough in half and wrap each piece in plastic wrap, refrigerate, and let rest for about 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.

*Alternatively if you don't have an electric mixer, combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a hole in the center of the flour and add the eggs and olive oil into the well of the hole. Lightly beat the egg mixture with a fork and gradually incorporate the flour from inside the well, in a circular motion. Continue to incorporate the flour until it forms a ball; the dough should be slightly sticky. Sprinkle flour on a work surface and knead the dough for 10 minutes until it is elastic and smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, refrigerate, and let rest for about 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.

Dust your work surface and dough with a little flour. Press the dough into a rectangle and roll it through a pasta machine 2 or 3 times, at widest setting. Pull and stretch the sheet of dough with the palm of your hand as it comes out. Reduce the setting and roll the dough through again. Continue tightening the settings until the machine is at its narrowest; the dough should be paper-thin, it should look like stained glass (you should be able to see your hand through it.) At this point you can use an attachment to make pasta or use a pizza cutter to create shapes.