I have put uncooked bulgar into bread....very crunchy in the finished product. Not break your teeth crunchy...but I like it better if I soak it first.
Linda C

You'll find recipes using both methods (wet/dry). I'm with Linda C on this, I add it dry for the same reason - texture. About 1/3-1/2-cup per loaf. I add it towards the end of kneading because the sharp edges will cut the gluten strands and you'll end up with a short, squatty, loaf of bread.

I also add multi-grain cereal blends (aka 5-grain, 7-grain, etc.) which look like chopped whole grain. I mill my own mixtures, but Bob's Red Mill carries a good variety of the.

FYI: Bulghur (and it's various spellings) and cracked wheat are actually two different things. Bulghur has been cooked and dried before milling, while cracked wheat is whole wheat berries milled into large chunks; and they can sometimes be substituted one for the other, but not always. Because bulghur is already cooked, it takes less time to prepare than cracked wheat.

I make bulghur at home from whole wheat berries and crack my own wheat in the blender to assure it's fresh. Once the outside of any grain has been cracked open, the wheat germ oil quickly goes rancid and the nutrients are degraded. If you make these wheat products at home, be sure to sift out the flour. If you leave the small flour particles in your bulghur or cracked wheat, you'll end up with "paste" when it's added to a liquid ingredient. Did I mention I found out the hard way the first time I made cracked wheat? (LOL)

-Grainlady

Thanks for the help!

I have used Bob's Red Mill grain cereals in bread making, but don't have any on hand, so I got some bulghur to try Shambo's pilaf and want to add some to my next whole wheat baking. I think I will start with 1/2 cup bulghur soaked in 1/2 cup boiling water.

Teresa

Try malt'O meal in bread.....very good...no need to cook it first but it adds a lovely malty taste.
Linda c

I use Cracked Wheat and 9 grain cereal in bread sometimes and have always cooked it. All of these I purchase at a local Mennonite store.. and it is really nice and fresh...

Carolyn

Well.....I made a single loaf of bread using 1/2 cup bulgur soaked with 1/2 cup boiling water and let sit until cool. I think that might have been too much of a good thing for just one loaf.

The dough rose just fine, as did the loaf in the pan, but it fell a bit upon baking and the loaf is somewhat dense. But it's not a complete door stop and has a good taste. I was making this for myself, experimenting with a new recipe and the bread is edible - so not much lost.

Teresa

Teresa, I've made the following recipe from Taste of Home several times, and it always turns out good. Although I let my bread machine handle the kneading & rising, I do NOT bake the bread in the machine. I shape the dough, place it in a 9 x 5 pan, let it rise for about 30 minutes (until just under double) & bake it at 350 for about 30 minutes, then check the temperature. It usually takes an additional 10 minutes to get to 190 degrees. I also add about 1 tbsp. granular lecithin & 2 tbsp. vital wheat gluten that I measure with the flour. I put the 2 tbsp. at the bottom of the measuring cup and then spoon in the flour. Sometimes it take an additional couple of tablespoons of water during the machine's kneading process.

The bread always is moist & light with that bit of chewiness that cracked wheat or bulgar provides.

Cracked Wheat Buttermilk Bread

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups water
6 tablespoons cracked wheat
3/4 cup warm buttermilk (70� to 80�)
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 cups bread flour
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon active dry yeast

Directions:
In a saucepan, bring the water and cracked wheat to a boil; boil for 6 minutes. Drain; cool for 15 minutes. Place all ingredients, including cracked wheat, in bread machine pan in order suggested by manufacturer. Select basic bread setting. Choose crust color and loaf size if available. Bake according to bread machine directions
(check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1-2 tablespoons of warm buttermilk or flour if needed. Yield: 1 loaf (1-1/2 pounds).

Here is a link that might be useful: Cracked Wheat Buttermilk Bread

I'll add a recipe too. A Pillsbury recipe that my kids liked. I've posted it here before. -Grainlady

Bulgur Wheat Loaf

3/4 c. water
1/2 c. bulgur wheat
2-1/4 to 2-1/2 c. Pillsbury's BEST All-Purpose or Unbleached Flour
2 T. brown sugar
1 to 1-1/2 t. salt
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 c. water heated to 120-130-degrees F
1/4 c. oil
1 c. Pillsbury's BEST Whole Wheat Flour
2 t. water
1 egg white
1 t. bulgur wheat

Grease cookie sheet. Bring 3/4 c. water to a boil in small saucepan. Remove from heat; stir in 1/2 c. bulgur. Let stand 20-25 minutes or until water is absorbed. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, brown sugar, salt, yeast, 1 c. hot water and oil; beat at low speed until moistened. Beat 3 minutes at medium speed. By hand, stir in bulgur mixture, whole wheat flour and additional 1 c. of allpurpose flour to form a stiff dough.

On floured surface, knead in 1/4 to 1/3 c. all-purpose flour until dough is elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and cloth towel. Let rise in warm place (80-85-degrees F) until light and doubled in size, about 45-minutes.

Punch down dough several times to remove all air bubbles. Shape into round loaf. Place on greased cookie sheet. Cover; let rise in a warm place until the dough has almost doubled. [Grainlady note: Form the dough into a tall mound, not a flat loaf.]

Heat oven to 375-degrees F. Uncover dough. With very sharp knife, cut a 1/2-inch deep slash across top of loaf. Cut another at a right angle, making a cross. In small bowl, beat 2 teaspoons water and egg white until blended. Brush over top of loaf; sprinkle with 1 t. bulgur, if desired. Bake at 375-degrees F for 25-35-minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet; cool on wire rack. Yield: 1 (17-slice) loaf.

I've used Grainlady's recipe too. It was very good. I think you can tell that I love cracked wheat or bulgur in bread,