Bulgur Bread

This has become one of my most requested recipes.

The original recipe was developed in the summer of 1982 when I was working at Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp in Milford, Iowa. When I arrived at the kitchen that summer to work as an assistant cook, the head cook asked if I could think of something to do with the 50 lb. bag of bulgur they had received. Using my food science skills and the big industrial size Hobart mixer, we would make about 25 loaves each week for our special celebration meal. I had forgotten about that recipe until 2020 when several long time friends and I began a weekly zoom visits to stay connected during the time of Covid quarantine. Camp memories came up and they reminisced about that bread encouraging me to make it again. Now it has become one of our family favorites. I hope you like it too!

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup warm water

1 ½ tsp salt

1 ½ Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp molasses

¼ cup bulgur

½ cup whole wheat flour

3 ½ cup bread flour

2 tsp yeast

To make in a bread machine: 

Add ingredients in the order listed.  Choose the dough setting.  Once the machine is done with the dough setting, take the dough out and kneed lightly and shape into a long French loaf (or shape of your choosing) Let raise about 20 minutes.  Bake in 350o oven for 23 minutes.  Lightly brush with butter. Cool on a wire rack.  Enjoy!!

Without a bread machine:

Dissolve yeast in warm water.  Add the rest of the ingredients in the order shown. (Pay attention to the feel of the bread – if you can get by with less flour that is great).   Kneed until smooth and elastic (5 + minutes?).  Place in greased bowl and cover with towel.  Let rise for about 60 minutes until double in size. Punch down and shape into long French loaf or other shape of your choosing.  Let rise again about 30 minutes.  Bake at 350o oven for 23 minutes.  Lightly brush with butter. Cool on a wire rack.  Enjoy!!