The Fresh Loaf

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Cornell Bread

mse1152's picture
mse1152

Cornell Bread

Hi everyone,

I've been wanting to find a sandwich bread that my son will eat, other than white bread. This week, I made some Cornell bread straight from the Cornell University site. I like the idea of it because it has extra protein in the form of soy flour, dry milk, and wheat germ -- the three ingredients you have to have if you call it Cornell bread. I substituted whole wheat flour for 1/3 of the total amount; otherwise, I followed the recipe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The dough remained a bit sticky even after shaping, and it didn't rise to great heights. But it has a mildly sweet flavor from the honey, and a moist texture. My son still won't eat the crusts, though! I've never offered to cut crusts off his bread, so I don't know where he came up with that. I just tell him it's the handle of the bread.

The recipe wants a 400F degree oven, which, midway through, I lowered about 50 degrees. I think you shouldn't have to use a temp. higher than 375F for this bread. All in all, it's pretty nice, and I'll probably make it again...after I make the 172 other breads on my 'to bake' list!

Sue

 

Comments

zolablue's picture
zolablue

That's really pretty.  It reminds me of my how my grandmother's bread looks. 

I don't know a thing about soy flour.  What do you know about it or how does it change or affect the taste of bread? 

mse1152's picture
mse1152

ZB,

In my own nerdish way, I googled 'soy flour in bread' and got a link to a scientific article!  It says the dough will be stickier (yes) and bake darker (yes) with a little coarser crumb (yes) and reduced volume (yes).  Soy 'flour' has no gluten, since it's just finely ground soybeans.  The article refers to effects seen at different percentages of soy flour to regular flour.  The recipe I used has just over 8% soy flour.

Sue 

edh's picture
edh

Your article was spot-on; I use a fair amount of soy flour in various things, and replacing too much wheat flour with it will produce of brick of impressive density! On the other hand, it packs an impressive punch as far as upping the protein content of baked goods. If you're like me, and get a sugar rush just from eating a piece of lean bread, sneaking protein in wherever you can is a good thing.

It's especially useful in quick breads and muffins where the density doesn't have a negative effect. One other nice effect of soy powder; it helps baked goods retain moisture, extending shelf life by delaying drying out. That's why it appears on the ingredient list of so many commercially baked goods (no, they weren't being nice and trying to improve the nutritional content!)

I put it in all my quick breads and muffins, granola, and use it to replace powdered milk on the rare occasion that I make a bread that calls for it.

edh

browndog's picture
browndog

This feels like blasphemy but I'm going to say it anyway and hope the ghost of granola past doesn't hear me...soy flour tastes...hmmm...well... I used to put some in all my breads, but it really is sharp and bitter, and it's not a pleasant visitor. I think it would start making itself distinctly known after more than a quarter or third of a cup to 3 or 4 cups of flour, what do you all think? Do you agree it needs a caution sign?

mse1152's picture
mse1152

Yes, by no means is soy flour something you'd want to be the main ingredient in your bread.  The Cornell recipe uses only 1/2 cup per 6 cups of flour.  I think of it as an additive only, not something to build a recipe around.  I'm just looking for a bit more protein to stuff into my growing boy.

Sue 

subfuscpersona's picture
subfuscpersona

If your soy flour tastes "sharp and bitter" it may have become rancid (especially if it is full fat soy). Raw soy flour should taste faintly sweet. I always keep soy flour in the freezer.

I've been using soy flour in white bread for many years, especially when the kids were younger and I sneaked all kinds of "stuff" into the bread dough to increase nutrition. For a white bread recipe that uses soy flour, here's a link to my Soy-Honey White Bread. This is a tried-and-true recipe that my kids loved. It uses 1 cup of full-fat soy flour and about 6 cups bread flour.

The recipe gives ingredients in ounces and volume (plus baker's percentage) and includes photos and instructions. The link is in Adobe Reader format, and you're welcome to view, print or download it. (My kids, now grown, wanted the recipe so I uploaded it to the 'net so they'd never be able to say they couldn't find it)

mse1152's picture
mse1152

subfuscpersona,

I like your recipe, and I may try it in a while, with the possible addition of some whole wheat flour.  If it's been kid tested for many years, it must be a good one!  Thanks for the link.  And I keep soy flour in the freezer too.

Sue 

subfuscpersona's picture
subfuscpersona

hi Sue -

I should add that I only use organic full-fat soy flour. Most of the time I milled it at home from organic soy beans (that's why the loaf has little "speckles" from the home milled flour). I've also used Bob's Red Mill organic soy flour.

I didn't use any WW flour since this bread was used for sandwiches for school lunches. My kids insisted that their bread look like the other kids' bread, and this was close enough to pass muster. (They would, however, eat my WW bread when at home - go figure!)

browndog's picture
browndog

I can't even begin to argue, since my soy flour was always full fat, always sitting out, and always ancient because I dislike it so, even though I agree that it's a miracle food and respect it enormously. Ironically I started keeping it in the freezer around the time I quit using it almost altogether. Next are you going to tell me that my mother's liver and onions should actually have been delicious? I remain a skeptic but you have my attention. Speaking of sneaking nutrition into kids, I have a recipe for brownies made with a can of pureed black beans that are tender and grand, and another for beet chocolate cake. My son swore he'd know if there were beets in a cake, but he was wrong. :)

sphealey's picture
sphealey

Laurel's Kitchen, The New Laurel's Kitchen, and The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book collectively discuss soy flour and super-nutritious breads in exhaustive detail. Exhausing too. But readable. 

sPh

mse1152's picture
mse1152

...to read some of the discussions in The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book, I agree.  I just re-read the section on soy flour, and they say that using some oil in doughs containing soy flour helps lubricate the gluten, so it will rise decently to offset the effects of using soy flour in the first place.

So back to Cornell bread...does anyone ever make this?  I remember reading that JMonkey had it as a kid, but does anyone make it now?  Is it too earthy/crunchy for ya?  Speak!

Sue

JinMaine's picture
JinMaine

Sue -

I have been baking Cornell Bread since 1973, which is the date on the $1.00 "You Can Make Cornell Bread" pamphlet I bought while in college. It was written and marketed by Clive McKay, the originator of the bread. It's an entertaining pamphlet and has a discussion (with pictures) of how his test rats suffered when fed only white bread. You don't often see pictures of rats in a bread book.

The soy flour in the bread gives it a nutty taste in my opinion. And, soy flour definitely does go rancid - learned that the hard way. Yuck.

Lately I've been making it with 50% white whole wheat and usually add an extra Tablespoon or 2 of wheat germ.

Cornell bread is probably our favorite daily bread. And our three collies maintain that it is also their favorite.

Nice to see someone else making it -

Janet

 

mse1152's picture
mse1152

Yay, I'm glad to know someone makes this regularly. Since it originated in the late '30s, it predates the time at which the government mandated that wheat flour be enriched. I assume it was an attempt to make regular white bread more nutritious. I prefer to make sandwich bread with at least some whole wheat flour, and the Cornell additions really add more value to it. And the batch I made tastes good too, so I think I will work it into the regular baking rotation.

Hey, any bread that's good enough for lab rats is good enough for me. :)

Sue

mse1152's picture
mse1152

I used Bob's Red Mill soy flour, which is.....35% protein!  wow!  They sell both full fat and lowfat.  I used the full fat.

Sue

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

I would just mention that crusts are a grown up secret and, "you haven't learned to like it yet." Don't over do it and these things change on their own with time.

I can't put soy into my husband's bread, he is gout sensitive... unless there is a soy that has proven otherwise. I have to stay away from fresh or dried peas and beans. I'd like to know because soy is also good for getting over the flash /flush phase of menopause and I would love to remove my "Mini Only" signs off the bread in the freezer. (It is actually labeled "Menopause Bread" so he won't touch it... the word works like repellant.) Lol! --Mini Oven

Teresa_in_nc's picture
Teresa_in_nc

When I first started making bread about 30 years ago, I came across the Cornell Triple Formula which was developed to add more nutrition to home baked goods. The formula was/is simple: put 1 TB each of soy flour, wheat germ, and instant dried milk into a one cup measuring cup; fill to the top with regular white flour and proceed with your recipe for bread, cookies, etc. You would do this for each cup of flour called for in your recipe. I never noticed a bitter flavor using this method. Now I make more whole wheat/whole grain breads for everyday eating, but this is still a good method to make healthier bread at home if your tribe is reluctant to eat "that brown bread."

Teresa

slidething's picture
slidething

Looks very interesting ~ But can you add one cup of sour dough starter to it?

Have to play with the recipe to see & vist the Cornell site.

  Slide__Out