‘Cracked Wheat’ Bread

Name: ‘Cracked Wheat’ Bread
Total time: 5 h
Yield: Two loaves
Ingredients: 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast; 3 cups lukewarm water; 2 tablespoons mild honey; 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses; 1 cup medium or coarse bulgur; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 2 cups whole wheat flour; 1/4 cup canola oil; 1 scant tablespoon salt; 2 cups whole wheat flour, plus additional as necessary for kneading; 1 egg, beaten with 2 tablespoons water for egg wash

By Martha Rose Shulman

Total Time: About 5 hours
Rating: 4(81)
Comments: Read comments

When I began my career as a cook, I made hearty loaves like these every week. Now that we have so many bakeries producing good breads, I don’t really need to bake as often, but I’ve never gotten bread quite like this grainy loaf in a bakery. Make it on a weekend when you’re at home for a while. There’s only about 15 minutes of active work, but the bread requires several rises. Although I call it cracked wheat bread, I use bulgur, which makes a lighter, moister bread than cracked wheat.

Featured in: The Benefits of Bulgur

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Ingredients

Yield:Two loaves

For the Sponge

2½teaspoons active dry yeast
3cups lukewarm water
2tablespoons mild honey
1tablespoon blackstrap molasses
1cup medium or coarse bulgur
1cup all-purpose flour
2cups whole wheat flour

For the Bread

¼cup canola oil
1scant tablespoon salt
2cups whole wheat flour, plus additional as necessary for kneading
1egg, beaten with 2 tablespoons water for egg wash

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

For the Sponge
1. Step 1
  In a large bowl, combine the yeast and water, and stir until dissolved. Stir in the honey and molasses. Whisk in the bulgur, then whisk in the flours a cup at a time. Stir or whisk this mixture a hundred times for about two minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, cover the bowl tightly with plastic, and leave to rise in a warm spot for one hour until bubbly.
2. Step 2
  Add the oil to the sponge and fold in, using a large spoon or spatula. Add the salt and fold in. Fold in 1 cup of whole wheat flour. Place some of the second cup of flour on your work surface, and scrape the dough onto it. Use a paddle to help fold the dough over to knead until it has absorbed the flour on the work surface. Flour your hands and your work surface, and knead the dough for 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary, until the dough is elastic and springs back when you press it with your finger. It will be dense and slightly tacky. Shape the dough into a ball. Rinse and dry your bowl, and coat with oil. Place the dough in it, then flip it over so that it is coated with oil. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and set in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour or until doubled.
3. Step 3
  Punch down the dough again, cover the bowl and allow to rise for another hour.
4. Step 4
  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Divide the dough in two and shape into loaves. Oil two 9 x 5-inch bread pans, and place the loaves in the pans, seam side up first, then seam side down. Cover with a damp towel, and allow to rise for 30 minutes or until the middle of the loaves rises above the edges of the pans.
5. Step 5
  Gently brush the loaves with egg wash and, using a sharp knife, cut two or three ½-inch deep slashes across the top of each loaf. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, brushing again halfway through with egg wash. The bread is done when it is golden brown and responds to tapping with a hollow sound. Remove from the pans, and cool on a rack.

Tip

Advance preparation: These loaves, wrapped airtight, freeze well for several weeks. The bread will keep for about five days, but refrigerate after three days.Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.

Ratings

4 out of 5

81 user ratings

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Comments

Mckv7 years ago

I use the No Knead recipe the make a similar bread. One cup white flour one cup whole white wheat flour and one cup bulgur wheat that I grind in a small spice grinder. I leave out the sugars but add a small amount of ground nuts or seeds. Also works well with rolled oats ground in my spice grinder. So good and easy,

Janne6 years ago

At 55 minutes it was looking kind of dark so I took it out of the oven. I would bake it the full hour next time. It was done but could have used that last 5 minutes. It's nice and dense and chewy. And healthy. The only thing I would change is that I would use more salt. It's a bit flat tasting. I'd also like to play with adding different whole grains. I thing the recipe can handle it. I didn't mind the extra steps the recipe requires. Making the sponge was fun. Glad I found this recipe.

Meg Rosenberg7 years ago

Still trying to recreate the new mixed grains bread, whose recipe I can't find.
Added steel cut oats (1/2 cup) cooked in 2 cups of water, and added the oats, bulgur, and millet (2/3 cup) after the sponge rises.
Needed a little extra flour because of the water in the oatmeal.
Made sturdier loaves that remind me of the lost recipe.

Abby2 years ago

Exactly what I was looking for, a toothsome loaf good for peanut butter, grilled cheese or a hunk of bread with soup or cheese.

allenpalals2 years ago

Just made this today and it was excellent. I followed the recipe exactly except for the honey because I didn’t have any. Will definitely make this again.

Janne6 years ago

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