I enjoy collecting old cookbooks, and pick them up at yard sales and flea markets whenever I can. Each Saturday, I post excerpts from my collection. Today’s recipe comes from the Sergeantsville Methodist Episcopal Church 1922 Cook Book. I would love to try this recipe, but I have not yet been lucky enough to come across graham flour.

Graham Bread

2 1/2 cups boiling water, 2 tablespoons shortening, 1/2 cake yeast, 1 tablespoon salt, about 4 1/2 cups white flour, 1/2 cup luke warm water.

Make a sponge of this over night. In the morning add 1 cup molasses and enough graham flour to make a stiff batter, about 1 1/2 cups. (If very coarse, the flour should be sifted.)

Put in greased pans and let it rise until double in bulk. Bake one hour. This will make two loaves.

If very dark molasses is used, add 1/2 cups sugar to the shortening and salt, and use only 1/2 cup molasses in morning.

Most of the recipes in this book are attributed to women (presumably church members); however, this recipe is attributed to “Domestic Science.” It is unclear if this was the name of a source book, or perhaps considered daily knowledge.