Cracked Wheat Bread

On the left you see the cracked wheat loaf that I made today with honey and white whole wheat. Use molasses instead of honey for a darker loaf. Use standard whole wheat for an even darker loaf. I also added some cracked wheat with a cornstarch wash to the top for a prettier loaf.

Bread
1/2 cup cracked wheat
1 1/4 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup molasses or honey
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
1 cup standard or white whole wheat flour
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

Cornstarch Wash
Using a fork, blend 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch with a small amount of water to form a paste. Add 1/2 cup water and whisk with the fork. Microwave or boil until the mixture appears glassy, about 30 to 60 seconds on high. It will keep in the refrigerator for two weeks; discard if it has an off smell. (from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking).

Bread Instructions
Pour the boiling water over the cracked wheat in a large bowl; cover and let rest for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the butter, salt, molasses (or honey) and dry milk Let the mixture cool to lukewarm and then add the yeast and flours. Mix well in standing mixer, bread machine or by hand. It will make a soft, slightly sticky dough. Let the dough rise, covered, for 1 1/2 hours until it's doubled in bulk.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased work surface and shape into an 8" long log. Place the log into a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2 " loaf pan, and let rise until it's crowned 1 to 2 inches over the rim of the pan.

Brush a cornstarch wash on the dough with a pastry brush. Sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons of cracked wheat. Slash the loaf vertically down the middle of the loaf just before placing it into a pre-heated 350° oven.

Bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes until it's brown and sounds hollow when tapped on top and bottom, or reads 195°F on an instant-read thermometer. Turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool completely before slicing.

Yield: 1 loaf.




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