Cracked Wheat Bread

I've been looking for a good bulgur wheat bread recipe. I've made the one in Laurel's Kitchen a few times, and although the taste was good, I wasn't happy with its dense texture. Grainlady, from the Cooking Forum, posted a recipe I decided to try. The results were quite good. It was light & high, full of cracked wheat nuggets, and not overly sweet. It makes excellent toast and sandwiches.

BULGUR WHEAT LOAF
Grainlady from GardenWeb's Cooking Forum/Pillsbury

(Printable Recipe)

3/4 c. water
1/2 c. bulgur wheat
2-1/4 to 2-1/2 cups All-Purpose Unbleached Flour
2 T. brown sugar
1 to 1-1/2 t. salt (I only used 1/2 tsp. salt)
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 c. water heated to 120°-130°F
1/4 c. oil
1 c. Whole Wheat Flour
2 t. water
1 egg white
1 t. bulgur wheat (optional)

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 cup 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 cup all-purpose flour to form a stiff dough.

On floured surface, knead in 1/4-1/2 cup 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 a warm place (80-85°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 warm place until light and ALMOST doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 375°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 t. water and egg white until blended. Brush over top of loaf; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon bulgur, if desired (I omitted this step). Bake at 375°F for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from cookie sheet; cool on wire rack.