MickiColl's blog

For a very long time I have been searching for a recipe for graham flour bread.  I have found one and it is excellent ..( thank you Mr Google) 

it is a James Beard recipe .. how can we go wrong ? here it is

Adapted for 2 loaves from Beard On Bread

• 3 1/2 tsp instant yeast1
• 2 tbsp sugar2
• 12 oz warm water (between 100° and 115° F)
• 8 oz evaporated milk
• 1 1/2 oz butter, melted
• 1 1/2 tbsp salt
• 2 cups graham flour3
• 3 - 4 cups all-purpose flour

In a large mixing bowl, combine graham flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Pour the water, milk and butter on top. Beat well and add in all-purpose flour a cup at a time until it comes together into a firm dough.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead for 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. Or, use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook to do the kneading - it will take slightly less time and much less effort.

Form the dough into a ball and place into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover lightly with a clean towel and let it rise in a warm place until doubled (about 1 hour or two). Punch down the dough and cut in half.

Grease two 9x5x3" loaf pans4 well. Shape the dough pieces into loaves and arrange in the tins. Cover them back up with the towel and let them rise again until doubled (another hour or so). Slash the tops.

Bake in a preheated oven at 425° F for 10 minutes then reduce the heat to 350° F. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes. (The loaves will sound hollow when done or you can check their temperature - they should be at 190°F.) Let cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn out onto racks to cool completely. Slice and serve.

Notes:

1. Instant yeast does not need to be proofed. It's wonderful stuff. If you use active dry, you will need to proof it in the warm water with the sugar for 5 minutes before continuing with the recipe. Also, use 4 tsp of active dry.
2. Or honey, which is what I wished I had done and will do differently next time.
3. Whole wheat can be substituted for graham, which is coarser because the different parts of the wheat are ground separately then remixed. You can make it yourself, according to Wikipediaby mixing all purpose flour with wheat bran and wheat germ. For this recipe, you would need to mix 170 g all-purpose (about 1 1/3 cups) with 30 g wheat bran (about 1/2 cup) and 5 g (3 tsp) wheat germ. Graham flour is very coarsely textured.
4. This dough is firm enough, according to Beard, that you can just make free-form loaves if you don't have or don't feel like using loaf pans.

A recipe from http://kitchenmouse.rozentali.com/2010/05/graham-bread/

Posted by Cori Rozentāle onMay 3, 2010.

can I substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream in breads ?

some of the recipes here call for "old bread" ? is that old "cooked/baked" bread ? or it simply old uncooked dough (discard)

I desperately need help with crust. what I want is a paper thin, shatteringly crisp crust. but all I can achieve is moderately crisp but thick, hard, turtle shell crust. I have tried everything imagineable. dutch oven, cloche, steaming, misting absolutely everything I can think of.  KA AP, Gold Medal AP, bread flour ..got desperate and  yesterday I even used 1/2 C rice flour .. got the shattering part, but under it was 1/4 inch of turtle shell. (great rise and crumb) Fortunately my sandwich loaves are most always good. specially James Beard's sour cream bread. I'm still working on a satisfactory graham flour bread like I was raised on (70 years ago) Your help is appreciated ..

I just posted about Shaping videos .. please ignore the one that starts with www. .. use only the http one. if all fails type in your own link using just http://techno.boulangerie.free.fr/09-ReussirLeCAP/03-leFormesEnVideo.html

sorry ... MIcki

My brother just sent me this link .. great videos. Give it time to load (there are a lot of them) and then enjoy .. probably some you've never seen.

http://techno.boulangerie.free.fr/09-ReussirLeCAP/03-lesFormesEnVideo.html

As I ponder my lost youth I keep going back to when I first started baking bread... 60 some years ago. the lady that taught me only made graham flour bread ..

as I remember it, it was a light, soft, slightly sweet all purpose sandwich bread, baked in a loaf pan. she may have used water .. but maybe milk.  maybe all graham, maybe white and graham mixed .. I have googled, and searched everywhere but can't come on a recipe for it. is there anyone on this site  that may remember that far back, and have the recipe ? graham flour is hard to find but I finally did get some Bob's Red Mill. strangely, neither them nor King Arthur have the recipe. Should I just use my favorite wheat bread recipe, and substitute with graham flour ? Any help, suggestions are appreciated.  

 MIcki

just recently someone wrote in with a recipe that was part sourdough .. part yeast. they said they didn't have enough starter for the whole recipe. it was labeled "part sourdough" or "not quite sourdough". I thought I had printed it out but can't find it. can you please re post it or send it to me direct e mail mickicoll@msn.com ? thanks.

I'm about to give up on sourdough. I have been trying for six months with different formulas and they all wind  up smelling like fingernail polish revmover.

they look horrible .. not pink, but almost. and the acetone smell is overpowering. help please .. if there is to be any.

this is (finally) the recipe that appeared in the Honolulu Advertiser sometime in the early 70's

for sure it's nothing that is sold in the stores as "Hawaiian Sweet Bread"