by greg patent
photos by michael gallacher

In the 1930s, Clive McKay, a professor of animal nutrition at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., showed through his research that diet affected health and longevity in animals. If the same principles could be applied to people, he reasoned, then they’d lead more healthful lives.

New York state mental hospitals, aware of McKay’s research, asked him to help improve the quality of their patients’ food. Finding that the patients tended to eat more bread than average people, McKay decided to see what he could do to improve its nutritional content.

Over time, and with the help of the hospitals’ dieticians and bakers, and the Dry Milk Institute, Cornell bread was born.

What set Cornell bread apart from other breads at the time was its increased protein and vitamin content contributed from three sources: full-fat soy flour, raw (untoasted) wheat germ and nonfat dry milk. These are the hallmarks of Cornell bread.

In 1955, McKay and his wife Jeannette published “You Can Make Cornell Bread,” a booklet of 54 recipes using the basic Cornell bread formula.

In the 1950s, a lot of people ate white bread every day, but most commercial varieties had low nutritional value because they lacked the bran and germ of the whole grain. Home baking was very much alive at that time, and bakers were quick to add Cornell bread to their families’ diet.

My wife and I started baking Cornell bread in the early 1970s, soon after we found a recipe in The New York Times. The basic recipe makes two tall light-textured loves that are golden in color on the inside. The bread is delicious fresh or toasted and makes excellent sandwiches.

Even though I can buy excellent commercial bread of all kinds today, I still bake Cornell bread every now and then. There really is nothing quite like it.

I use a combination of bread flour and organic unbleached all-purpose flour when I make this bread, and I have also had great success with half-organic whole wheat flour. White whole wheat or regular whole wheat flour work equally well.

Greg Patent is a food writer and columnist for the Missoulian and Missoula magazine. Visit his website at www.gregpatent.com. You can write him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Michael Gallacher is a photographer for the Missoulian. He can be reached at (406) 523-5270 or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

basic cornell bread

ingredients
6½ cups flour, a combination of equal parts unbleached organic all-purpose flour and bread flour, or just the unbleached flour, plus more as needed (measure flour by dipping dry measuring cup into flour sack, filling to overflowing, and sweeping off excess. Total weight of flour is 2 pounds + ½ ounce)
2 packages (4½ teaspoons) quick-rise or active dry yeast
½ cup soy flour
½ cup untoasted wheat germ
¾ cup instant nonfat dry milk powder
4 teaspoons fine sea salt
2 2/3 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
¼ cup corn oil or other vegetable oil
¼ cup honey

This recipe makes two big, gorgeous loaves, each weighing about 2 pounds. I use a stand mixer equipped with a dough hook. Soy flour and raw untoasted wheat germ are available in most markets. Store them in the refrigerator. You can use the dough to make dinner rolls, sweet rolls, cinnamon sticky buns and much more. Feel free to substitute whole wheat flour for half the white flour.

directions
In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the flour, yeast, soy flour, wheat germ, dry milk powder, and salt. Add the water, oil, and honey and attach the dough hook. Beat on low speed until you have a wet dough with all the dry ingredients mixed in, 2 to 3 minutes. Stop the machine, cover the bowl, and let the dough rest 10 minutes.

Knead on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes, then on medium speed for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the dough is very moist, smooth, and elastic. The dough may not clean the sides of the bowl during kneading. At the end of kneading, the dough will be sticky. If it seems too wet, knead in only 1 to 2 tablespoons more flour. But don’t add too much. The lightness of the baked loaves depends on a wet dough.

Lightly oil or coat with cooking spray a 6-quart straight-sided bowl or other straight-sided container. Scrape the dough into the bowl and turn to coat all over. Pick up the dough and work it briefly with your hands to form a smooth ball; it should feel supple, smooth, and elastic. Pull it between your hands and it will stretch at least a foot. Return the ball of dough to the bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until almost tripled in size, 1 to 1 ½ hours; dough will almost reach top of bowl.

Grease or coat with cooking spray two 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pans. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it in half. Pat each half gently into a 9-inch square to redistribute the yeast cells. Form each square into a loaf by rolling it up tightly jelly-roll fashion and pinch the edges to seal. Turn the loaves seam side down. Use the sides of your palms to crimp the edges and tuck them under the loaf. (See photo sequence).

Place loaves in pans and cover loosely with lightly oiled (or sprayed) plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until loaves look puffy and light and centers have risen 2 inches or so above the rims of the pans, about 1 hour.

About 30 minutes before the loaves are ready, adjust an oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Discard plastic wrap from the loaves and place pans in oven. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until the loaves are well-browned and sound hollow when you remove them from the pans and rap their bottoms. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the loaves will register 200 to 205 degrees.

Cool loaves completely on their sides on wire racks, 3 to 4 hours. Wrap airtight. Loaves stay fresh 2 to 3 days. They may be wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 1 month.

Makes 2 large loaves.