Graham flour
Graham flour is a type of flour named after Sylvester Graham (1794–1851), an early advocate for dietary reform.[1]: 21, 29 Graham despised the discarding of nutrients such as germ and bran when making flour for white bread and believed that using all of the grain in the milling of flour and baking of bread was a remedy for the poor health of his fellow Americans during changes in diet brought on by the Industrial Revolution.[2]: 7–8
Graham flour is similar to whole wheat flour in that both are made from the whole grain; however graham flour is not sifted during milling (i.e. unbolted), and is ground more coarsely.[2]: 9
Graham flour is available at health food stores, some grocery stores, bakery supply stores, and some specialty and gourmet food shops, or directly from a flour mill that has experience making it.
A substitute for it would be a mix of unbleached white flour and wheat middlings and this was commonly done prior to and after the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906, but the FDA gradually established standards and eliminated imitations from the market.[2]: 13 It was reported in 1913 that bread made from graham flour had a protein content of 12.1%.[3]
See also
- Flour bleaching agent
- Graham bread
- Graham cracker
- Graham cracker crust
- Wheatberry whole wheat, sometimes eaten on its own
References
- ^ Iacobbo, Karen; Iacobbo, Michael (2004). Vegetarian America : a history. Westport, Conn.: Praeger. ISBN 978-0275975197.
- ^ a b c Le Clerc, Joseph Arthur; Jacobs, Benjamin R. (April 12, 1913). "Graham Flour: A Study of the Physical and Chemical Differences Between Graham Flour and Imitation Graham Flours". USDA Bureau of Chemistry Bulletin (164). Government Printing Office.
- ^ Wihlfahrt, Julius Emil (1913) [1905]. A treatise on flour, yeast, fermentation and baking, together with recipes for bread and cakes. THE FLEISCHMANN CO. p. 25. Retrieved 2012-04-29.
After baking, the white wheat flour not only proved the more digestible, but the protein contents were as follows: White wheat flour 12.5% protein Graham flour 12.1 Entire wheat flour 11.9