Wheat bread and I, we’re likethis.
Almost every morning, wheat bread serves as the vehicle to getting peanut butter toast into my belly for breakfast. For lunch or dinner, it is oftentimes the base of my sandwiches, grilled cheese, etc. And when I want dessert that is healthy but also not-so-healthy, a spread of Nutella or cookie butter on a slice of wheat bread comes to the rescue.
We’re basically besties. Also, now you know that my diet is like 80 percent toast.
But cracked wheat bread and I? That’s a whole different story. I’d never put cracked wheat into my bread before making this recipe from Red Star Yeast, let alone tried the stuff on its own. But ho ho hooooo, friends, let me tell you — it’s tasty. Dare I say so tasty, my trusted whole wheat bread recipe and sandwich bread may have some stiff competition.
Red Star Yeast certainly was onto something when they decided hey, let’s stir some cracked wheat into a bread! And that something is a soft, textured, nutritious sandwich loaf that rivals any storebought variety in the wheat bread category. I guess this isn’t really a wheat bread, per se, because it’s made with bread flour and cracked wheat is stirred into the dough, BUT my point is this: If you’re a wheat bread lover like me, you will find yourself head over heels for this bread, too. Get ready for a lot more peanut butter toast/sandwich/grilled cheese-makin’ in your near future (YEAH TOAST).
Cracked wheat may be a big of an enigma to find at the grocery store, but I found it in the bulk section of my local natural foods market and it was supah cheap. Also, if baking bread kind of freaks you out, take a deep breath, maybe have a glass of wine and then take a gander at these baking tips from Red Star Yeast, which take you through the whole process. You can totally do this!
Cracked wheat bread, guys. You’re gonna love it.
P.S. Check out Red Star Yeast on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Cracked Wheat Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cups water
- ¾ cup cracked wheat
- 3 cups bread flour, divided
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast, 1 packet
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil. Pour boiling water over cracked wheat in a small bowl; stir. Let cool to 120 to 130 degrees F.
- Meanwhile, stir together 1 cup flour, sugar, yeast and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add oil and cracked wheat mixture. Stir with paddle attachment on medium speed 4 minutes.
- Gradually add remaining flour. Knead with dough hook on low speed 5 to 7 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer bread to a lightly oiled bowl; turn to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place 1 hour until doubled.
- Punch down risen dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 14-by-7-inch rectangle. Roll up from the short end into a tight log; pinch seam to seal. Transfer log to a lightly greased 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Cover and let rise 1 hour until doubled.
- Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake bread 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown. Remove from loaf pan; cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!Disclosure: I received compensation from Red Star Yeast for recipe development purposes. All opinions are my own.
I’ve made a lot of bread over the years so I was very disappointed with this recipe. First off, if you’re using active dry yeast there are no directions for activating it first so I followed the directions as written. Of course it didn’t rise. Should the recipe have said use Instant Yeast? Again I did exactly what the recipe said and the dough was super dry and crumbly, wouldn’t stay together. Didn’t rise, ended up throwing out the entire thing. What a waste. Maybe I’ll try it again with instant yeast but I’ll try to find another recipe I think.
Hi Dianne – I am the new owner of GVD. I am making my way through all the vintage recipes on GVD, but I haven’t made this recipe yet. I read the instructions and looked at the ingredient ratios – it seems like it should make a relatively wet dough, not overly dry if measured properly. You are correct that she does not activate the yeast in the traditional sense. She does add the boiling water to the cracked wheat and then cool it down to a livable range for yeast. She uses a similar combination method in her Multigrain Sandwich Bread, which I have tested myself. That recipe does use instant yeast. Speaking from a professional bakers POV, it will work as written with dry active yeast; however, instant yeast would be more practical. You could also bloom the yeast in a subset of the water. I recommend trying out that multigrain bread or her Whole Grain Seeded Bread (a personal fav, btw) or the Oatmeal bread (but that one is less substantial). Happy Baking! ~Lindsey
Made from the best grains and harvested with the best quality control, Danfe’s Cracked Wheat is 100 percent pure and natural. Iron, fibre, vitamins, and minerals are all abundant in it.
Good!!