GRAINS

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GRAINS

CORN BREAD MADE WITH YEAST

2 cups fine stone-ground yellow cornmeal, 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, 2 1/4 tsp fast-rise active dry yeast, ( 1 1/4 ounce package), 2 tsp salt, 2 cups milk, warmed to 105- 115 F, 8 tablespoons ( 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly , 2 large eggs

Butter a 13 x 9 inch baking pan, or coat with cooking spray, set aside.

Stir the cornmeal, flour, yeast, and salt together in a large bowl. Add the milk, melted butter, and eggs and stir to moisten the dry ingredients. Continue to beat the mixture about 2 minutes to make a smooth batter.

Scrap into the prepared pan and cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in volume, ( the pan will be slightly more than half full), about one hour.

Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 375 F.

Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the bread springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

GRAINS

CASS COUNTY THRASHING MACHINE IN 1902.

MILLING FLOURS & GRAINS
I like to use hard whole wheat flour, or whole wheat bread flour , or wheat bread flour in breads. Other wise the gluten will not be fully formed and the bread will not rise as well.

Hard whole wheat flour is milled from hard red spring wheat or hard red winter wheat, both of which are high in gluten. Bread flour should contain about 14-15 % gluten.

Whole wheat pastry flour or soft whole wheat flour is usually used in cookies, cakes, muffins, piecrusts. It is much lower in gluten than hard whole wheat flour, and it produces tender, fresh baked goods.

I often use whole wheat pastry flour for breads, but I will have to use lots of hard whole wheat also so the bread does not turn out heavy and flat. At times I use unbleached all purpose flour with another type of grain in a recipe. This I sometimes use for muffins , pies, & cookies.

THE BERRY

The berry is the whole grain before it is hulled, cracked, milled or processed in any way. It contains bran, germ and the endosperm. Buy berries to sprout, or to grind into flour yourself for freshness.

HINT: IF YOU GRIND WHEAT VERY COARSELY,
YOU HAVE CRACKED WHEAT.

CRACKED WHEAT BREAD

BRING TO A BOIL UNTIL TENDER: 1 CUP CRACKED WHEAT, 1 TABLESPOON SALT, 4 TABLESPOONS SHORTENING, & 2 CUPS WATER.

DISSOLVE 3 TABLESPOONS YEAST IN ONE CUP WARM WATER.

PUT ALL THE ABOVE IN A LARGE BOWL, ADD 8 TABLESPOONS MOLASSES, I CAN (13 OUNCE) EVAPORATED MILK, & 5 CUPS FLOUR & MIX. ADD ANOTHER 5 CUPS FLOUR FLOUR. FLOUR YOUR HANDS, KNEAD THE DOUGH ( PUSH IT TOGETHER) UNTIL THE DOUGH STICKS IN A BALL.

GREASE BALL & LET RISE TILL IT IS DOUBLED IN BULK. KNEAD AGAIN; PUT IN 6 LOAF PANS & LET RISE.

BAKE AT 350 F ABOUT 40 MINUTES.

RECIPE FOR A SANDWICH WITH THIS WONDERFUL BREAD.

TO MAKE A TUNA MELT.

SPREAD TUNA FISH ON A PIECE OF CRACKED WHEAT BREAD, WITH A SLICE OF CHEESE ON THE BREAD, AND TOP WITH ANOTHER SLICE OF BREAD ON THE TOP. BROWN IN A FRYING PAN IN A SMALL AMOUNT OF OIL UNTIL THE CHEESE MELTS. YOU WILL NEED ONE CAN OF TUNA FISH, 8 SLICES OF BREAD, & 4 SLICES OF CHEESE FOR 4 PEOPLE. ENJOY !!!

BANANA LEMON BALM BREAD

1 3/4 CUPS UNBLEACHED ALL-PURPOSE WHITE FLOUR, /4 CUP FRESHLY GROUND WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, 1 TEASPOON BAKING SODA, 1/2 TEASPOON SALT, 4 TABLESPOONS BUTTER, SOFTENED, 1/ 2 CUP GRANULATED SUGAR, /2 CUP LIGHT BROWN SUGAR, 2 EGGS, BEATEN, 3 VERY RIPE MEDIUM BANANAS, MASHED, 1 TEASPOON MINCED DRY LEMON BALM, 1/3 CUP MILK

PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 350 F. BUTTER A 4 BY 8 INCH LOAF PAN.

SIFT TOGETHER THE FLOURS, BAKING SODA AND SALT.

IN A LARGE BOWL, CREAM BUTTER , SUGARS TOGETHER, BLEND THE EGGS, BANANAS & LEMON BALM. ADD 1/2 OF THE FLOUR MIXTURE AND HALF OF THE MILK, STIRRING IT WELL. ADD THE REMAINING MILK AND THEN THE REMAINING FLOUR MIXTURE, AND BLEND WELL. POUR INTO THE LOAF PAN.

BAKE FOR ONE HOUR OR UNTIL A TOOTHPICK INSERTED IN THE CENTER COMES OUT CLEAN.

WHOLE WHEAT COFFEE CAKE

THIS IS GOOD FOR SUNDAY BREAKFASTS. THIS HAS GRANOLA IN IT.

1/ 2 CUP UNBLEACHED ALL PURPOSE WHITE FLOUR, 1 1/4 CUPS FRESHLY GROUND WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, 1 TEASPOON BAKING SODA, 1/2 TEASPOON SALT, 1 EGG, 1 CUP BUTTERMILK OR SOUR MILK, 1/4 CUP UNSALTED BUTTER, MELTED, 1/2 CUP MAPLE SYRUP.

TOPPING

1/4 CUP WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, 1/4 CUP BROWN SUGAR, 3/4 CUP GRANOLA, 1/2 CUPS WALNUTS, 1 TEASPOON CINNAMON, 4 TABLESPOONS BUTTER, MELTED.

PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 375 F. SIFT TOGETHER THE WHITE FLOUR, BAKING SODA, AND SALT. MIX IN THE WHOLE-WHEAT FLOUR WITH A FORK. IN A LARGE BOWL , BEAT THE EGG UNTIL VERY LIGHT, ADD BUTTERMILK, BUTTER AND MAPLE SYRUP, AND BEAT WELL TO BLEND ALL THE INGREDIENTS,

ADD THE FLOUR MIXTURE AND FOLD IN TO COMBINE TOGETHER.

SPREAD THE BATTER MIXTURE SMOOTHLY IN A BUTTERED 8 INCH SQUARE PAN.

TOPPING

TOSS FLOUR, SUGAR, GRANOLA, NUTS, CINNAMON WITH A FORK. POUR THE BUTTER OVER THE MIXTURE AND TOSS AGAIN. SPRINKLE CINNAMON AND LITTLE BROWN SUGAR OVER THE BATTER.

BAKE THE COFFEECAKE ABOUT 25 MINUTES OR UNTIL A TOOTHPICK INSERTED INTO THE CAKE COMES OUT CLEAN. SERVE WARM FROM THE PAN WITH UNSALTED BUTTER.

RAISIN BREAD

2 1/2 CUPS FRESHLY MILLED, SIFTED WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, 2 TABLESPOONS SUGAR, 3 TEASPOONS BAKING FLOUR, 1 TEASPOON SALT, 1/2 TEASPOON CINNAMON, 2 EGGS, 1 CUP MILK, 1 1/2 CUPS CHOPPED RAISINS,4 TABLESPOONS MELTED BUTTTER, ( YOU COULD USE THE OPTION OF OLIVE OIL FOR THE BUTTER IF YOU WOULD PREFERE).

SIFT TOGETHR THE DRY INGREDIENTS. BEAT THE EGGS, ADD THE MILK, ADD TO THE FIRST MIXTURE. STIR IN THE RAISINS AND BUTTER. LET THE DOUGH STAND FOR 20 MINUTES IN A WELL-GREASED BREAD PAN. BAKE IN A MODERATE OVEN AT 350 F FOR ABOUT ONE HOUR.

NUT BREAD

2 1/2 CUPS FLESHLY MILLED, WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, 2 TABLESPOONS SUGAR, 3 TEASPOONS BAKING POWDER, 1 TEASPOON SALT, 1/4 TEASPOON CINNAMON, 2 EGGS, 1 CUP MILK, 1 CUP CHOPPED NUTS, 4 TABLESPOONS MELTED BUTTER.

SIFT TOGETHER THE DRY INGREDIENTS. BEAT THE EGGS, ADD THE MILK, AND ADD TO THE FIRST MIXTURE. STIR IN THE CHOPPED NUTS AND THE BUTTER. LET THE DOUGH STAND IN A WELL GREASED BREAD PAN FOR 20 MINUTES. BAKE IN A MODERATE OVEN ( 350 F) FOR ABOUT 1 HOUR.