Cracked Wheat Bread

I'm sure I'm not alone here, but I love to spend time pouring over old cookbooks. If I'm at a garage sale or bookstore and there are cookbooks there, I'm lost to the world for a long while. Every once in a while, I'll find one that HAS to come home with me - I try not to do that too frequently, as we would have rooms full of cookbooks! I found this recipe in a little paperback cookbook that I picked up for a quarter - this recipe alone was certainly worth the twenty-five cents. Love it! 

Cracked Wheat Bread                                                                

2 pkgs (or 2 Tbsp.) Red Star Platinum yeast 

1 ½ Cups warm water

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. salt

¼ cup Olive Oil

¾ Cup Cracked Wheat, divided (1/2 cup for bread recipe; ¼ cup for rolling bread in)

1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour

3 Cups unbleached flour or bread flour

Dissolve yeast in water in the EZ DOH bucket – let sit for 1-2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients (Note: only add ½ Cup cracked wheat to the bread). “EZ DOH” the dough for 2-3 minutes, or until relatively smooth. Remove dough from bucket – hand knead for 3-4 turns, just to “smooth” the dough (this is not necessary, but sometimes just makes a nicer dough). Spray bucket with cooking spray. Replace dough in bucket, cover and let rise for 30 min. Remove dough from bucket. Divide in two equal parts. Form each into a long loaf and roll each in the remaining ¼ cup cracked wheat to cover. Place loaves on a baking sheet lined with parchment, or sprayed with cooking spray. Slash tops.

At this point, the loaves can rise for 30 minutes before baking OR they may be refrigerated – cover them lightly with saran.  Bake the loaves at 450 for 10 minutes. Then lower the oven temp to 400 and continue baking another 10-15  minutes or until golden. Cool on rack. 

Cracked Wheat Bread