Cracked Wheat Bread

One of my favorite recipes for sandwich bread comes from the book The Bread Bible. The Bread Bible and my other favorite bread book The Bread Baker's Apprentice are my go to books if I need to bake bread.

Cracked Wheat Bread

Makes 1 loaf

Starter
1/2 cup bread flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 t instant yeast
1/2 T sugar
1 T powdered dry milk
1 T honey
1 cup plus 2 T water at room temp

Combine all of the above ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth.


Next dump the following ingredients on top of the starter mixture in the bowl:

2 cups bread flour
1/2 T sugar
1/4 t instant yeast

Don't mix the ingredients in. Just cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter from 1 to 4 hours, depending on how long you have.
Letting it sit longer will develop more flavor.

Pretty soon the stuff beneath will bubble over the top of the dry flour ingredients.


Meanwhile put 1/2 cup bulgur wheat and pour over 1/2 cup of boiling water. Let it sit for an hour until all of the liquid is soaked up.

To finish the dough add:

Soaked bulgur wheat
1 T vegetable oil
1 3/4 t salt

Mix with the kitchen aid mixer for 10 minutes. Cover the bowl and let rise on the counter until doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 with a baking stone on the bottom rack and a cast iron skillet on the floor of the oven.

Shape the dough into a loaf and place in a greased loaf pan. Let the dough rise again, covered with plastic wrap, for a while until the dough is within 1/2 inch of the top of the loaf pan. Brush the top of the loaf with melted butter and slice it 1/2 inch deep down the length of the loaf.


Slide the loaf into the oven on top of the baking stone. Add 1/2 cup ice to the cast iron skillet and close the door. Bake 45 to 55 minuets until the top of the loaf is pale golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and brush the top with a little melted butter. Let cool on a wire rack to room temp before cutting.
Our little one wanted Elmo to pose with the loaf.
It made a great roast beef, Swiss and chipotle mayo sangweeech!
After a while, our little one had a tea party for Elmo, Mr. Owl, baby duck and Mr. Crab. Baby spotted bear also made an appearance. All parties were winners!


PS - research shows that this is our most popular post ever in the toddler demographic. Elmo, Mr. Owl, Mr. Baby duck and Mr. Crab are very popular figures in the toddler world.