I’ve always enjoyed commercially-made cracked wheat bread, so I sought out a recipe for it to make some at home. I found one in James Beard’s “Beard on Bread” cookbook. The finished bread was very nice and a perfect sandwich bread. Not too heavy, at all, with nice texture from the cracked wheat.
I have adapted the recipe to use instant yeast. If you’d like to use dry active yeast, proof the yeast in 1/3 cup water and reduce the milk to one cup.
Recipe: Cracked Wheat Bread
Summary: A great bread, with some added crunch from some cracked wheat. Makes 2 loaves.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup fine cracked wheat
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
- 2 tsp. instant yeast
- 1/4 cup softened butter or shortening
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. molasses
- 2 Tbsp. honey (I used a bit more, as I like a sweet loaf)
- 1 1/3 cup milk
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Combine the cracked wheat and boiling water in a small saucepan. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until all the water is absorbed. Add to a large bowl or a bowl of a stand mixer. Stir in the butter, salt, molasses, honey and milk. Combine and then let stand and cool to lukewarm.
- Combine the yeast with the 1 cup of whole wheat flour. Add to the bowl with the liquid ingredients. Add the all-purpose flour 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly, until the dough comes together. Knead in a stand mixer for 5 or 6 minutes (or 10 minutes by hand). Shape into a ball and put into a buttered bowl, turning to coat with butter. Cover, place in a warm spit and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Punch down dough and shape into two loaves. Put into well-greased 9×5 (or 8×4) loaf pans, cover and let rise again until doubles again and dough crests the pans. Bake in a 375° F. oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped. Cool on racks.
- Adapted from a James Beard “Beard on Bread” recipe.
Number of servings (yield): 2
