Sneak Preview: This Wheat Berry Bread is a bread machine recipe for crunchy and earthy-tasting white bread with cracked whole wheat berries that add healthy fiber.
On the subject of wheat berries: I can picture my dad (an Indiana farmer) reaching his grubby hand behind him into the bin of the combine during a wheat harvest. He would pop a handful of freshly-harvested wheat berries into his mouth and chew them like they were a fresh stick of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit.
Mind you, that wheat might have a few weed seeds and little bugs in it. But it was FRESH! Of all the times my dad and grandad tried to get me to follow their example, I just couldn’t do it.
Take those same wheat berries and bake them up in this bread. Now I’m spitting out my Wrigley’s and chowing down.
Cracked Wheat Berry Bread is a nubby, crunchy, and earthy-tasting white bread starring cracked whole wheat berries. Make it with a bread maker.
The addition of whole grains significantly increases the fiber and protein content. It also contributes to the taste and texture.
Wheat berries are inexpensive and well worth the trouble. They contribute extraordinary texture, flavor, and nutrition. You’ll enjoy eating this loaf out of hand with butter or slice and toast it for sandwiches.
THE LOW-DOWN ON CRACKED WHEAT
1. What is cracked wheat?
Cracked wheat describes an unprocessed wheat berry that has been chopped to make smaller pieces.
2. What is a wheat berry?
A wheat berry is the original unprocessed whole grain form of wheat. A single wheat berry includes the bran, the germ, and the endosperm.
3. Are cracked wheat and bulgur interchangeable?
Cracked wheat is technically uncooked. According to the NY Times, bulgur is steamed and cooked before packaging. It requires less cooking time. This recipe specifies raw wheat berries.
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4. How do I store wheat berries?
Wheat berries can be stored in a cool and dry pantry for up to 6 months. Bob’s Red Mill claims you can keep wheat berries for up to 2 years if you refrigerate or keep them frozen.
5. Are wheat berries good for you?
Whole wheat grains provide not only fiber, but more B vitamins, antioxidants, and protein than refined grains.
6. Where can I obtain wheat berries?
Look for a supermarket with a bulk bin aisle. I get mine at our local Sprouts for .89/lb. Maybe try the organic food aisle or Amazon? Finally, if you know a wheat farmer, ask him for a bag. Of course, you will need to clean the berries. You may have to pick out a bug or a few husks, but that’s a small price to pay for fresh wheat.
Purchase the hard red wheat berries as opposed to the soft wheat berries. They are better for making bread.
Frequently asked questions:
1. Is this recipe considered a whole grain bread?
Yes, it is a whole grain bread because it contains some whole grains. However, it is not 100% whole grain. The flour specified in the recipe is white bread flour. The result is a loaf with a softer but firm texture with less bitter-tasting undertones than whole wheat flour.
When it comes to bread, I’m generally a white-bread-lovin’ baby boomer. I know. We’re supposed to be eating whole grains. Consequently, this bread is the perfect compromise in my book.
2. Why use a bread machine?
If you are new to my website, I’ve written a lot about my non-traditional bread-machine technique. In a nutshell, using a bread machine to mix and knead the dough is the way for me to get the best quality bread every single time.
3. Do I have to use a bread machine?
No. You can make Cracked Wheat Berry Bread using a stand mixer or make it by hand. See the recipe notes for specific instructions.
4. How do I soften wheat berries to use in this bread machine recipe?
You have several choices, but I favor the last one because it’s the fastest.
- Soak wheat berries overnight to soften them.
- Cook wheat berries on top of the stove for 20 minutes using a 2 to 1 ratio of water to grain.
- Cook wheat berries in the microwave on HIGH for 10 minutes using the same ratio of 2 to 1 for water to grain.
The goal is to soften the berries not cook them to the consistency of your breakfast dish of oatmeal. You want them to have some chew (and tooth-friendly crunch in the crust.)
5. How do I crack wheat berries?
After softening the berries, add flour to the berries and use a food processor or blender to crack them. Berries are not easy to eat in baked bread if they have not first been softened and cracked.
6. What does this bread taste like?
The taste is heartier and more interesting than white bread but still mild without the bitter undertones of a 100% whole wheat loaf. The wheat berries inside this loaf are soft and slightly chewy. However, the exterior is somewhat crunchy due to the cracked wheat berries that bake up crispy in the crust.
How to make the dough using a bread machine:
How to shape and bake Wheat Berry Bread
Preheat your conventional oven to 425 degrees F.
Cracked Wheat Berry Bread is well worth the calories and effort, although calling any bread made in the bread machine an “effort” is arguable.
Are you interested in other whole wheat loaves you can make with a bread machine?
Honey Whole Wheat Bread
This recipe for Honey Whole Wheat Bread will make one fabulous loaf of whole wheat bread. "Healthy" never tasted so good.
Whole Wheat Apple Pie Yeast Bread
A sweet yeast bread to mix and knead in a bread machine, then baked in a conventional oven
Homemade Whole Wheat Rolls
Whole Wheat Rolls are sturdy but soft and tasty, making them suitable for buns or mini-sliders.
Did you enjoy this recipe? If so, you can help others and me by leaving a 5-star 🤩 rating in the comment section below. No comment is required.
p.s. If you have any questions or suggestions, you can email me privately: Paula at saladinajar.com.
Hope to see you again soon!
Paula
Wheat Berry Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup whole-grain wheat berries - 160 gr
- 2-1/2 cups bread flour - (divided) 300 grams
- 1 cup warm milk (or whey drained from yogurt) - 240 gr
- 1-1/2 teaspoon table or sea salt - 6 gr
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar - 4 gr
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter - (softened) 28 gr
- 2 teaspoons bread machine or instant yeast - 6gr
Instructions
- Boil wheat berries in 1 cup of water for 20 minutes. Allow to cool (quicker if you add ice cubes) and drain. Alternatively, soak wheat berries in water for 12 hours or overnight. (Softened and drained wheat berries will keep in the fridge up to a week.)
- Add prepared wheat berries to a blender or food processor along with 1 cup of bread flour (120 grams). Process until wheat berries are finely chopped. You will likely need to stop several times to push the flour and wheat berries from the sides of the chopping container back to the middle.
- Combine milk or whey, salt, sugar, butter, remaining flour (180 grams), the ground-wheat-berries-and-flour mixture, and the yeast.
- Check the dough at least twice by lifting the lid to take a peek. The first time, look immediately after the machine starts mixing to ensure the paddles are engaged correctly. Look again 15 minutes into the DOUGH cycle to assess the consistency of the dough. For most recipes, The dough should stick to the side, then pull away cleanly.If your dough is too wet, add flour one tablespoon at a time.Conversely, if the dough is too dry, add one tablespoon of liquid at a time until the dough looks just right. Read more about this surprising secret to success with a bread machine here.
- When dough cycle completes, check to make sure the dough has doubled in size. If not, leave in pan until it does.
- When doubled, remove dough from the pan to a floured surface and divide into two equal portions. Shape each portion into an oblong shape by pulling dough from the top to the bottom until dough is smooth; then pinch closed. Place seam side down on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or a silicone mat that has been sprinkled with a bit of cornmeal.
- Cover with a tea towel and allow to rise until almost doubled. Preheat oven to 425˚ about 20 minutes before you expect the loaf to be ready to bake.
- Brush risen loaves with glaze of 1 egg white whipped together with 1 tablespoon water. (This is optional.)
- Make 2-3 diagonal slashes in each loaf with very sharp serrated knife or razor blade, being careful not to deflate dough.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until interior temperature reaches 190 degrees F, or until bottom is brown and sounds hollow.
- Allow loaves to cool on rack for an hour before slicing.
Video
Notes
- To make this recipe in a heavy-duty stand mixer: Add ingredients to the bowl in the same order. Turn on LOW to mix until all ingredients are moistened. Then, using a dough hook, turn the speed to 2 or 3. Continue beating/kneading until dough becomes smooth and elastic (about 5-10 minutes). Cover and allow to rise in a warm place. Deflate dough gently and shape as indicated in the recipe.
- If making by hand: Combine all ingredients into a shaggy ball in a large bowl. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead with your hands until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Kneading will likely take 10-20 minutes, depending on your experience. Place the dough ball into a greased bowl. Cover and allow to rise until double. Deflate the dough gently and shape as indicated in the recipe.
- Please note: If you only have active dry yeast, use 1/4 teaspoon more than called for in the recipe. It no longer needs to be dissolved first, but you can if you prefer.
- Originally, this recipe called for 1 cup water and 1/4 cup dry milk solids. I have changed it to reflect my current recipe since I don’t buy dry milk. I can detect no discernible difference in the final product.
Lizzy
Wednesday 25th of November 2020
Hi Paula, This recipe looks delicious! I was wondering if there would be any harm in baking the bread in the bread machine rather than taking it out and forming it into loaves? I'm afraid I can be quite lazy on occasion... Thank you!
Roy
Thursday 8th of April 2021
@Lizzy, To those reading this after 2020: I intended to take it out of the machine and bake in the oven but decided to go dancing. When I got back, it was stuck to the pan. Crumbled a bit when I scraped it out. Outside was crusty and inside damp. Although machine made great banana bread in the past, bad idea for this recipe. Going to try again since I bought 25 pounds of wheat berry.
Lizzy
Wednesday 25th of November 2020
Hi @Paula, I think I will give it a try - Machine bread never looks as lovely as hand-shaped loaves, but I do like a nice thick crust! Thank you very much for taking the time to reply to me. I hope you have a lovely and blessed Thanksgiving!
Paula
Wednesday 25th of November 2020
Hi Lizzy,
You can try it, of course. The crust will probably be thicker. Of course, the shape will depend on your machine but will look nothing like the one you shape yourself. The best way to find out is to try it. You may like it just fine.
Carol
Friday 14th of August 2020
Wow, this recipe makes some good bread - my loaves were perfect! I have 2 questions. I checked my dough after 10 minutes of kneading and it was pulling away from the sides just like in your pictures. But by the time the kneading cycle ended, it was much drier. Should the dough still pull away from the sides at that point? Loved the bread, so maybe that is a moot point for me but I’m curious.
And I really like splitting the dough in half for 2 loaves, 1 of which I can freeze. Can I do that with all of your recipes and figure on 20-25 minutes for baking? Thanks Paula.
Paula
Friday 14th of August 2020
Hi Carol,
Congrats on your successful bread. I suspect the dough was sticking a little, but not much compared to earlier in the cycle. Bread machines do a really great job of kneading the dough.
As far as splitting the loaves, as long as you are baking them in the same pan as one loaf, I can't think of a reason why you couldn't do that with any loaf recipe. If the recipe doesn't use a pan (freeform), then making two loaves would be different as far as the baking time and even the rising time. And you would have a lot more crust, but still, doable.
Debbie Cunningham
Tuesday 26th of May 2020
Hello Paula, I was wondering if the wheat berries can be processed in a blender before cooking in a microwave?
Paula
Tuesday 26th of May 2020
Hi Debbie, Wheat berries are really hard--almost like tiny rocks. I wouldn't want to do that to my blender. I don't have one of the big expensive blenders though. Maybe it's no problem for them.
At some point, the seeds have got to be softened before you put them in the bread dough. If you try it, let me know how it goes.
Connie
Sunday 29th of March 2020
Hello Paula. This may be a silly question, but here goes. Why did you divide this into two loaves? I made your oatmeal sunflower bread and yogurt pie crust for cherry pie. They came out awesome. The ratio is about the same as the cracked wheat berry bread, so was wondering if I could bake it in a loaf pan? Thanks for being my bread guru. Hope you have a blessed Sabbath.
Paula
Sunday 29th of March 2020
What a great question, Connie. The reason I divide the dough in half is because I like the little loaves they give you at a restaurant sometimes. They have so much crunchy and chewy crust. Since it's only my husband and me at home now, it also makes it easier to freeze one. But do what suits you. I think it would be wonderful in a loaf pan. This is just good bread. Period. I'm so happy your oatmeal bread and the pie crust turned out good. Thank you for the blessing. The current situation is a reminder to all of us how much we need God's blessing. Right?
Mimi
Saturday 28th of March 2020
This bread recipe it's so delicious .made it for the first time and it does not disappoint.. thank you for sharing this bread recipe