Other Flours, Grains, and Meals

A fair number of hearty breads contain grains and meals that may not be familiar. All are available in health-food stores or specialty stores (see Mail-Order Sources of Supplies).

Whole-wheat berries (or grains) are simply the entire, unprocessed wheat kernels.

Cracked wheat is the whole-wheat kernel—cracked, obviously. Bulghur—a partly cooked, then dried cracked wheat—is also referred to as “cracked wheat,” and may be used as well.

After the wheat kernel has been ground, it is called whole-wheat flour. Some whole-wheat flours have the bran (husk) partly or entirely sifted out. The most common whole-wheat flour has a medium-fine texture. It is the one we mean when we specify “whole-wheat.”