From: Leonard Smith

Summary: Cracked Wheat Bread Recipes

Date: October 4, 1997

There are two versions offered. The first is as we found the recipe, and the second is the recipe converted to weight measurement and scaled to make 2 lb. loaves of bread. In the commercial version, we used 9x5x3 inch metal bread pans and a convection oven. A convection oven uses slightly lower temps and reduced baking times.

My personal feeling is that to make bread consistently the same, it is necessary to invest in a quality kitchen scale and not rely on measuring cups. You will notice, in the second version, that the fractions are often in 16th's. This is intentional. The recipe is formatted into computer software that enables the user to vary the yield easily.

You will also notice that the first ingredient, 4-4 1/4 cups of flour is rendered in two lines thus:
4 c To 4-1/4 c Unbleached white flour

This is necessary to enable to recipe software to vary the yield properly.

I hope you enjoy this bread.

Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05

Title: Cracked Wheat Bread/Colonial Kitchen
Categories: Bread
Yield: 2 Loaves

4 c To 4-1/4 c Unbleached white flour
1 c Cracked wheat
1 c Stone ground, whole wheat flour
2 pk Active dry yeast
1-1/2 c Water
1/2 c Milk
3 tb Sugar
3 tb Butter or margarine
1 tb Salt

------------------------PREPARATION-----------------------------

In large mixer bowl, combine 2 cups of the unbleached white flour, all the cracked wheat, and active dry yeast. In saucepan, heat water, milk, sugar, butter or margarine and salt till just warm (115-120º), stirring constantly to melt butter.Add to dry mixture in bowl.

NOTE: It is my experience that by using hot tap water and cold milk, you will arrive at, or very close to, the required warm temperature required of liquids in bread making, without using the stove to heat the mixture. Of course, if you have a microwave, you can use that to heat the liquids.

Beat at low spead with electric mixer for 1/2 minute, scaping sides of bowl, constantly. Beat 3 minutes at high spead. By hand, stir in whole wheat flour and enough of the remaining unbleached white flour to make a moderately stiff dough. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead till smooth and elastic. (8-10 minutes). Shape into ball. Place ball of dough in lightly greased bowl turning once to grease surface. Cover and let rise in warm place until double (about 45-60 minutes).

Punch down dough; turn out on lightly floured surface. Divide in half. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Shape each half into a loaf and place in greased 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-1/2 in. loaf pans. Cover and let rise in warm place until double (30-45 minutes). Bake at 375º for 30 to 35 minutes. If crust browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil the last 15 minutes. Remove loaves from pans and cool on wire rack. Brush tops with melted butter, if desired.

NOTES: We served this bread daily in the Colonial Kitchen for over 8 years. The recipe we used is only slightly changed from this one and all changes were made to accommodate my personal method in baking. You, too, will probably find a need to modify it slighty to fit your methods.

We used a commercial mixer and convection oven and never varied this recipe once we worked it to our needs. My personal preference was to place all liquids in mixer, with yeast, and then add all the flours and mix on the lowest mixer spead till the dough ball cleaned from the sides of the bowl and was tight around the dough hook. If you are using a mixer with a dough hook, you might try placing all ingredients, except flours, in bowl and using a wire whip. Mix well, then add flours.

The cracked wheat we used is processed by Wauneta Roller Mills and sold as cracked wheat cereal. We also purchased our unbleached white flour from them. You can find these products at your local grocery. This makes a really crunchy bread and is best toasted.

Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05

Title: Bread, Cracked Wheat
Categories: Breads
Yield: 2 servings

1-1/4 lb Water
7/16 lb Milk
1/8 lb Sugar
1/16 lb Salt
2-7/16 oz Margarine
3/4 oz Yeast, instant
1-9/16 lb Flour, unbleached
13/16 lb Cracked wheat cereal
7/16 lb Flour, whole wheat, stone ground

Preparation: Combine water, milk, sugar, salt, and margarine; heat to 110º F. (Note, the use of hot tap water may make heating unnecessary.) Combine with yeast in mixer. Add flours and mix five minutes on No.1 speed for 5 minutes, or until dough starts to ball around hook and come clean from bowl. Remove from mixer, cover and rest approx 45 min. (The chef can rest, too.) Remove from bowl and place on floured table; divide into loaves. Scale 2 lbs 5 oz for each loaf. Press in loaf pans and cover with towel and plastic till double in volume. While proofing, preheat oven to 400º F. Place proofed loaves in oven. Reduce heat to 350º and bake 30 minutes. Heat and baking times are for convection oven.