Posted on by Deb

Irresistible Wheat Berry Bread

Irresistible Wheat Berry Bread

Baking Irresistible Wheat Berry Bread

Wheat berries

She heard the air whooshing into the big bellows in the forge and the practice tap for range of hammer and anvil. She heard Liza open the oven door and the thump of a kneaded loaf on the floury board.
East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

At the grocery store there is a brand of wheat berry bread I adore. I wanted to create a stellar whole grain bread with wheat berries that has the nutty taste I love and ingredients I understand. A splash of cocoa and sprinkle of nutmeg work in harmony to deepen the warm whole grain flavors in this Irresistible Wheat Berry Bread.

Dough for Wheat Berry Bread

I entered this recipe in the National Festival of Breads and received an Honorable Mention in the Whole Grain category. The contest specified that the recipe yield two loaves. If that is to much bread, the recipe can easily be cut in half with excellent results.

Essentials

It took me many tries to arrive at a place of irresistibility with this recipe. I wanted lots and lots of wheat berries but not a dense or heavy bread. I searched for deep rich whole grain flavor but with a soft mellow taste. A wheat berry bread that could happily accompany soup at dinner or be slathered with butter and honey for breakfast. The bread had to be easy to slice to fit in our toaster. Just cooking the wheat berries and adding them to the bread dough made a less than perfect loaf of bread. It was too chewy and nearly impossible to cut a slice of bread without crumbling and tearing apart.

The solution is to roughly chop 2/3 of the cooked wheat berries and leave 1/3 of the berries whole. To obtain the deep, mellow flavor I craved I found honey was the best sweetener to use with whole grain wheat. White and brown sugar were too sharp and loud while agave nectar lacked the character of honey that stands tall in flavor when paired with whole wheat. Still searching for vibrant flavor I found that just a dusting of cocoa power paired with the smallest amount of nutmeg makes the loaf sparkle with whole wheat goodness that is hard to resist.

Ingredients
1-1/3C warm water (100°-110°)
2 packages active dry yeast (4-1/2t)
2/3C unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3C honey
3C bread flour
1T salt
2t unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2t ground nutmeg
3C whole wheat flour
4C cooked and roughly chopped wheat berries (see cooking note below)
2C flaked whole grain wheat cereal (such as: Uncle Sam’s Original Cereal or Wheaties)

Loaves of Wheat Berry Bread

  1. Pour the warm water into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whipping attachment. Add the yeast and mix until dissolved. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Let the mixture rest for five to ten minutes.
  2. Add the butter and honey to the mixing bowl and thoroughly combine. Add two cups of the bread flour, salt, cocoa powder and nutmeg mixing to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Remove the whip attachment and replace with the dough hook. Add the remaining cup of bread flour and all the whole wheat flour. When the flours are almost mixed into the wet ingredients add the wheat berries, mix to combine. The dough will come together in a ball around the dough hook. Add the flaked whole wheat cereal and mix for five to eight minutes until the dough is shiny and elastic. If the dough is too moist add flour, a tablespoon at a time at the outside edge of the mixing bowl. Add just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the sides of the mixer. Place the dough in a large buttered bowl. Cover and let rest for 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until doubled in size.
  3. Butter two 9” x 5” loaf pans and set aside. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead a few times to deflate. Divide the dough in half. Form each piece of dough into a loaf shape and press evenly into the prepared pans. Cover the loaves and let rise for 1 hour to 1-1/2 hours or until doubled in size.
  4. Heat the oven to 350°. Bake the loaves for 35-40 minutes. Check the loaves after 30 minutes and tent with foil if browning too quickly. When the loaves are done they will be a deep tawny brown and have slightly pulled away from the edges of the pan. A cake tester inserted will come out clean.
  5. To prepare 4 Cups of wheat berries: Soak 2 cups of whole wheat berries in water for 8 hours or overnight. Place the berries in a saucepan and cover with water 2”of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Add more water if needed. Cook the wheat berries until they are plump and a few of the berries have burst open. Drain and cool the wheat berries. Roughly chop the wheat berries in a blender, food processor or by hand, leaving approximately 1/3 of the berries whole. I use hard red wheat berries. Different types of wheat may result in different yields after cooking.

Wheat Berry Bread with honey

Wheat Berry Bread

White roses

White rose

36 Replies to “Irresistible Wheat Berry Bread”

  1. I made this today and it is wonderful! ! I have never baked bread before, but your recipe was so easy to follow, I did it! My husband walked in the house and was surprised by the aroma. He is gobbling up warm bread. Thanks for the recipe!

    1. Thank you Kelsey! I’m pleased you enjoyed the recipe. Your gracious comment brightened my day!

  2. I followed your recipe exactly and the bread truly is wonderful! My 18 year old twin boys have gone back for 2nds and then thirds! Thank you for working so hard to perfect the recipe!!

  3. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for posting this recipe! I had a club sandwich in Indianapolis that was made on wheat berry bread and it was amazing. I’ve been unable to find the bread (Washington DC suburbs) and have looked for a recipe to make it myself. I can’t wait to try it! Thank you again! 😀

    2. Wow, I didn’t just enjoy it….I’m a bit obsessed!! I’ll be making 2 move loaves tomorrow!

    3. Linda you are awesome! I think it is a great recipe also! The whole grain flavor is loud and clear but not a touch overpowering! And all those luscious wheat berries offer a texture that is so seductive.

  5. This bread is rising as I type! I had to sub the cereal flakes for a granola type which I crushed with a mortar & pestle. Will update on how it turns out!

  6. It definitely looks irresistible! The butter and honey on a slice are perfect. Great idea to chop some of the wheat berries and leave some whole.

    1. Thank you for the scrumptious comment Lisa! Butter and honey are my preferred toppings but jam is also mighty fine!

  7. What I would give to have a warm slice of this bread, with butter and honey (just like the picture), waiting for me tomorrow morning. Oh, and I love your small wooden spoons — pretty and cute.

  8. I can’t resist home baked whole wheat bread, please pass the butter and honey 😉
    Congratulations on your honorable mention 😉

  9. Fresh baked bread from the oven! Slathered with butter, or jam, you had me at hello. Congrats on your honorable mention Deb!

  11. Oh lovely Deb! I especially love the photo outside with the flowers.

    This almost makes me want to jump in the kitchen and make bread right now. This sounds like just the kind of loaf I would adore. When my life slows down a bit, this bread is on my list! Thanks for sharing your honorable mention winning bread – a lot of effort went into creating that flavor – can’t wait to try it.

  12. I haven’t come across a bread like this, and it looks terrific! Congratulations on not only entering the contest (I would never be brave enough!) but getting an HM too. I am tempted to make this wholesome nutty-tasting bread but I need to figure out the UK equivalent of Wheaties (we don’t eat cereal so I know nothing about them!). Love your pretty roses!

    1. Thank you for the tasty comment Kellie! In place of the Wheaties any whole grain cereal may be used. The cereal is lighter than the wheat berries but still adds texture and another layer of whole grain flavor to the bread.

    1. Thank you for the tasty comment Julia! The rose bush is very old and was well established when we bought the house. If I remember to give it a drink of water it will happily bloom away!

    1. Thank you for the delicious comment Lynda! The Wheat Berry Bread does have a scrumptious aroma!

  16. First of all, congrats on the mention! Wheat berries are so great in bread and the cocoa and nutmeg (especially) sound so, so interesting! I haven´t used it in a long time, but will surely try the some whole and some cracked idea. Perfect bread for a winter soup!

    1. Thank you for the tasty comment Paula! There is just a hint of the cocoa and nutmeg in the recipe. They do not overpower the whole grain, but rather deepen the wheat flavor.

Comments are closed.

developed by markryan :: marktheryan.com