Maize

Flint Corn

Zea mays indurata

8.5–12% protein (typ. 10%)0% dry gluten · 0% wetNo gluten

Pre-Columbian; New England and Venetian staple

In the atlas

Flint corn wears a hard armor of vitreous starch. New England johnnycakes, Rhode Island whitecap, and the great polentas of the Po Valley all start here. The kernels look like the 'Indian corn' on autumn doors — and they mill into a meal that stays granular, never pasty, when you cook it right.

Origin. Eastern North America and the Andes; Italian polenta traditions

Flavor. Toasted corn nut, deeper than dent, a little smoke.

Worth knowing

Harder than dent — your mill will tell you.
Higher protein than typical yellow dent.
Floriani Red and Roy's Calais are beloved home-miller flints.
Popcorn is a flint cousin; some people mill old popcorn into meal.

Flours you can make

Flour	Extraction	Protein	Gluten	Notes
Whole-grain flour	100%	10%	0%	Everything the berry holds — bran, germ, and endosperm. Mill 1:1 by weight. Use within days, or freeze.
High-extraction (85%)	85%	9.9%	0%	Sift once through a #30–#40 sieve. Keeps most flavor and minerals, slightly stronger dough than 100%.
Sifted / bolted flour	75%	9.8%	0%	Second sifting (#50–#60). Lighter crumb, longer shelf life, less fiber. Bran left behind is gold in porridge.

Nutrition / 100 g

Calories: 362 kcal
Protein: 10 g
Carbs: 73 g
Fiber: 8.4 g
Fat: 4.3 g
Iron: 2.9 mg
Magnesium: 132 mg
Zinc: 2.4 mg
Thiamin: 0.4 mg
Selenium: 16 µg

Typical whole-grain flour / 100 g.

Sources & USDA links

Buy it retail

Anson Mills
Hayden Flour Mills
Barton Springs Mill
Native / heritage seed companies (food grade)
Azure Standard (seasonal)

Availability rotates by harvest. Search the berry name plus “food grade.”

Bakes well as

PolentaJohnnycakesArepas (with nixtamal)Corn pasta

Mill Flint Corn now

Miller’s desk

Grain to flour

Whole grainFlour type

Flour you want (g)Blend a second grain

Vital wheat gluten booster

Target protein %Target gluten %VWG protein %

Most bags of vital wheat gluten are 75–80% protein. The booster is added on top of the flour, not swapped in.

Flint Corn

Whole-grain flour · No gluten

Whole grain needed: 505 g
Flour you’ll get: 500 g
Bran left behind: 0 g
Protein in that flour: 50 g · 10%
Natural gluten: 0%
Add VWG: 24.2 g
After VWG: 13% protein · 3.3% gluten

About 3 cups of berries → 4 cups of whole-grain flour. Whole-grain milling is essentially 1:1 by weight; sifting is where you lose bran.

How to mill it

A cheap blade grinder will smell like burnt popcorn. Use stones.

Coarse first. Flint fights a fine setting on the first pass.

Tempering: Dry.

Everything the berry holds — bran, germ, and endosperm. Mill 1:1 by weight. Use within days, or freeze.

Milling 101 →

Next: bake it

Pick a loaf for this flour

13% protein after VWG · Flint Corn whole-grain flour. Sandwich loaf, focaccia, sourdough — the kitchen will scale dough, hydration, and times to this mix.