Graham Bread

So so so GOOD! Graham flour must be magic!



The original recipe is huge and makes 4 loaves. Since it was my first time making this I didn't want to make that much and end up not liking it so I halved the recipe.
I'm going to share the half recipe.

Directions:
In a small bowl pour 1/4 a cup of warm water and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of yeast and a pinch of brown sugar over the top. Stir till dissolved then let sit about ten minutes.

In a large bowl (can use whisk/electric mixer/wooden spoon) Add:
2 cups warm water, 2/3 a cup plus 2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk, 1/2 a cup brown sugar, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 a stick) melted, 1/3 a cup plus 1 tsp molasses, and 2 tsp. salt.
Add to the batter:
the yeast mixture along with 2 eggs at room temp. (usually takes about 20 minutes outside the fridge). Beat to combine. Add 1 1/2 cups of graham flour. Beat hard until smooth. Add unbleached all purpose flour 1 cup at a time until your dough holds its shape and clears the side of the bowl. The recipe calls for 4 1/2-5 cups but I ended up using 2-3 more cups then it asked for. Just be sure to not add too much, but definitely add enough!!


Knead for a full 10 minutes on a well floured surface, dusting with flour to prevent sticking. Yes, kneading this long is tough, but well worth it!

Place in a greased bowl, turning to coat all sides. Then rise 1 1/2 hours or doubled. Gently deflate then rise again for another 40-45 minutes. The extra rise helps the flavor and texture develop.

Grease two 9x5 inch pans. Form loaves and place in pans. Let rise 30-40 minutes covered with plastic wrap until no more then 1 inch above the rim of the pans. Twenty minutes before baking turn oven to 350 F. Brush the tops of the loaves with egg glaze (1 egg, a few tablespoons of water or milk) if desired. As you can tell I didn't bother this time, usually I do though. :)

Bake on the center rack for 40-45 minutes or until golden. Cool for five minutes in the pans then transfer to cooling rack.