Description
A delicious and fluffy Cracked Wheat Bread that can be made lighter or denser to suit your preference by increasing or reducing the hydration level.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 3/4 cups (400 g) Water
- 2 1/2 tsp.(13 g) Salt
- 1/2 stick (57 g) Butter
- 3 tsp. (9 g) Instant Yeast
- 1/2 cup (100 g) Cracked Wheat
- 3 cups (360 g) Whole Wheat Flour
- 1/4 cup (53 g) Brown Sugar
- 3 1/4 cups (400 g) Unbleached All Purpose Flour, plus extra for sprinkling
- 3/4 cup (171 g) Milk
Instructions
- In a small pan, combine the water and butter. On low heat, dissolve the butter in the water.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add ¾ cup milk to cool the butter/water mixture.
- In a large bowl, sift together yeast, cracked wheat, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, salt, and unbleached all purpose flour.
- Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients using a wooden spoon or Danish dough whisk. Stir until fully incorporated and there are no bits of dry flour.
- Remove the dough to a lightly floured counter and knead until it is soft and supple. Form the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Roll the dough around to coat with oil.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and place in a warm place to rise for 45 minutes to an hour.
- Remove the dough from the bowl, punch it down, and fold it over itself a couple of times.
- Divide the dough into three equal pieces, shape each piece into a ball, cover, and let the balls rest on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes to allow for easier shaping.
- Shape the dough balls into loaves and place on greased or parchment-lined 8 1/2-inch x 4 1/2-inch loaf pans and let rise again for 45 minutes to an hour. The loaves should rise just above the rim of the pans.
- Preheat the oven to 350F and bake the loaves for 35-45 minutes. Insert a wooden skewer to test the loaves for doneness.
- Remove the loaves from the pans and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
I found that this hydration level made a soft loaf that slices easily, but if you want a denser loaf, just reduce the amount of water until you reach the density you prefer.
- Prep Time: 3 hours 30 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Category: Multigrain Bread
- Cuisine: Bread