This bread has long been one of my favorite homemade yeast bread recipes. It’s one of the first yeast breads I ever made. The recipe is adapted from a recipe in a James Beard cookbook.
I use medium bulgur in the recipe, but you can choose fine or coarse bulgur if that’s what you have on hand.
What is cracked wheat?
Cracked wheat, also known as bulgur wheat, is a whole wheat grain that has been parboiled, dried, and then cracked into small pieces.
PrintCracked Wheat Bread
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Proofing Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 24 servings 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Bake
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 cup bulgur (cracked wheat)
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1/3 cup warm water (100 to 110 F)
- 1/4 cup butter (softened)
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- In a saucepan, cook the cracked wheat in the boiling water for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking until all the water is absorbed.
- Dissolve the yeast in the 1/3 cup lukewarm water in a large mixing bowl and let it stand for 5 minutes.
- Stir the butter, salt, molasses, honey, and milk into the cooked cracked wheat.
- Cool the cracked wheat mixture to lukewarm, then add to the yeast mixture. With a large spoon or with one hand, start stirring in the all-purpose and whole wheat flour, 1 cup at a time.
- When the dough is stiff enough to work, turn it out onto a floured board and knead for 10 to 12 minutes, working in a little of the remaining flour as necessary. Alternatively, you may use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment at this point.
- When the dough is smooth and elastic, shape it into a ball and put it in a buttered bowl, turning to coat it with butter. Cover with plastic wrap, place in a warm, draft-free spot, and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Punch down and shape into two loaves.
- Place the dough in well-buttered 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pans, cover, and let rise again until doubled in bulk or until it reaches the tops of the pans.
- Bake in a preheated 375 F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped on top and bottom. Cool on racks.
Notes
Adapted from Beard on Bread by James Beard.
