In a small saucepan, bring 1 1/4 cups of water to a boil. Stir in 1 cup of the cracked wheat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes; let cool to lukewarm.
Note: A short simmer will give you a bit crunchier texture of cracked wheat in your bread – we like that!
In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water + 1 teaspoon sugar.
Let stand until the yeast rises up, gets foamy and creamy looking. This will take about 10 minutes.
Pour the cracked wheat mixture into a large bowl. Stir in the butter, oil, salt, molasses, honey, milk and the yeast mixture.
Add the whole wheat flour and 2 cups of the bread flour 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
Note: You can do this in a mixer, or by hand. I used a KitchenAid and added 1 1/2 cups extra wheat flour. Add additional whole wheat flour 1/4 to 1/2 cup at a time, just until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Continue mixing until the dough is smooth and elastic but not stiff! My grandmother used to say: The dough should feel a bit like a soft earlobe when you pinch it!
Lightly butter or oil a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil.
Cover with a lid or warm damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Punch down (deflate) the dough and divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into loaves.
Place the loaves into two lightly greased 9×5 inch loaf pans.
Cover the loaves with a warm damp cloth and let rise until doubled in size. This will take about 40 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F ( 190 degrees C).
Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven 30 to 35 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped on top and bottom.
Cool on racks.
Notes
Additional Whole Wheat flour might be needed. I added 1 1/2 cups extra flour to this recipe when using my KitchenAid Mixer.