Graham flour is a type of coarse-ground
flour
Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many culture ...
of whole wheat named after
Sylvester Graham. It is similar to conventional
whole-wheat flour
Whole-wheat flour (in the US) or wholemeal flour (in the UK) is a powdery substance, a basic food ingredient, derived by grinding or mashing the whole grain of wheat, also known as the wheatberry. Whole-wheat flour is used in baking of breads ...
in that both are made from the
whole grain
A whole grain is a grain of any cereal and pseudocereal that contains the endosperm, germ, and bran, in contrast to refined grains, which retain only the endosperm.
As part of a general healthy diet, consumption of whole grains is associated w ...
, but graham flour is ground more coarsely. It is not sifted ("Bolted") with a
flour dresser after milling.
[ A report from 1913 claimed that bread made from graham flour had a protein content of 12.1% – only slightly less than white wheat flour and essentially the same as whole wheat flour.]
Sources
Graham flour is available at health food store
A health food store (or health food shop) is a type of grocery store that primarily sells health foods, organic foods, local produce, and often nutritional supplements. Health food stores typically offer a wider or more specialized selection of fo ...
s, some grocery stores
A grocery store ( AE), grocery shop ( BE) or simply grocery is a store that primarily retails a general range of food products, which may be fresh or packaged. In everyday U.S. usage, however, "grocery store" is a synonym for supermarket, a ...
, 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 Wheat middlings (also known as millfeed, wheat mill run, or wheat midds) are the product of the wheat milling process that is not flour. A good source of protein, fiber, phosphorus, and other nutrients, they are a useful fodder for livestock and ...
; this was a common substitute prior to and after the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act
The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, also known as Dr. Wiley's Law, was the first of a series of significant consumer protection laws which was enacted by Congress in the 20th century and led to the creation of the Food and Drug Administratio ...
in 1906, but the FDA gradually established standards and eliminated imitations from the market.[
]
History
Graham flour is named after Sylvester Graham (1794–1851), an early advocate for dietary
In nutrition, diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism.
The word diet often implies the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight-management reasons (with the two often being related). Although humans are o ...
reform.nutrients
A nutrient is a substance used by an organism to survive, grow, and reproduce. The requirement for dietary nutrient intake applies to animals, plants, fungi, and protists. Nutrients can be incorporated into cells for metabolic purposes or excre ...
such as germ and bran when making flour for white bread
White bread typically refers to breads made from wheat flour from which the bran and the germ layers have been removed from the whole wheatberry as part of the flour grinding or milling process, producing a light-colored flour. This milling p ...
. He 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
The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...
.
See also
* Flour bleaching agent Flour bleaching agent is the agent added to fresh milled grains to whiten the flour by removing the yellow colour pigment called xanthophyll. It whitens the flour, which is used in the baking industry.
Overview
Usual flour bleaching agents are:
* ...
* Graham bread
Graham bread is a name for whole wheat bread that was inspired by the teachings of famous health reformer Sylvester Graham.
History
Sylvester Graham was a 19th-century health reformer who argued that a vegetarian diet, anchored by bread that w ...
* Graham cracker
A graham cracker (pronounced or in America) is a sweet flavored cracker made with graham flour that originated in the United States in the mid-19th century, with commercial development from about 1880. It is eaten as a snack food, usually ho ...
* Graham cracker crust
Graham cracker crust is a style of pie crust made from crushed graham crackers. Graham crackers are a sweet American cracker made from unbleached, whole wheat graham flour. The crust is usually flavored and stiffened with butter or vegetable ...
* Whole-wheat of wheat berry
A wheat berry, or wheatberry, is a whole wheat kernel, composed of the bran, germ, and endosperm, without the husk. Botanically, it is a type of fruit called a caryopsis. Wheat berries have a tan to reddish-brown color and are available as eithe ...
, sometimes eaten on its own
References
External links
* {{cite web , url=http://homecooking.about.com/cs/specificfood/a/graham.htm/ , title=Information on Graham Flour and recipes , access-date=2009-04-16 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051101155934/http://homecooking.about.com/cs/specificfood/a/graham.htm , archive-date=2005-11-01 , url-status=dead
Flour