This cracked wheat loaf is another one of those breads that have a wonderful nutty flavor with a gentle grainy texture. As the dough was fermenting and rising, it had a heavenly yeasty smell. I love that smell. Some people think it smells like rotting food, but to me it’s like the dough is saying “I’m going to be so delicious!”
This recipe called for bulgur. Bulgur, which can also be spelled bulghur or bulgar, is the wheat berry with the bran removed. It is then ground into varying degrees of coarseness. It’s a “grain” that is often used in Middle Eastern diets. Since it is hard like rice grain, it must be soaked in roughly equal part boiling water (by volume) before use. If you want to have an even softer grain, add it little bit more hot water, but for some bite in your bread, just enough hot water will do the trick. Let it soak for about an hour until all the water is absorbed, and then refrigerate until ready to use.
This recipe also had an optional addition of granular lecithin, but I didn’t really feel like going out to get that, so I used vegetable oil instead (which was listed as a substitute). I don’t really know much about lecithin, but it’s a fatty substance from either plant or animal tissues which apparently helps to keep bread moist and soft for longer.
One of my favorite things about bread baking is still seeing how the dough has grown. :)
I was a little bored of making single loaf, so I decided to use this multiple mini-loaf pan that I have and make a bunch of little ones!
I can make a bunch of little peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! Or use them for crostinis! So cute, right?
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