What better time than the present to pull out the Empress Card, and with it, the fabulous recipe for Harvest Wheat Bread from Corinne Kenner's Epicurean Tarot.
The Empress’ Harvest Wheat Bread
1 package active dry yeast
1/3 cup dry milk
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons honey
2-3 cups unbleached all-purpose four
2 cups warm (110° F) water
2 tablespoons softened butter
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup cracked wheat
3 cups whole-wheat flour
Dissolve yeast in 2 tablespoons of the warm water. Add milk, salt, honey, and 2 cups of all-purpose flour. Add the water, butter, and molasses. Stir vigorously.
Add the cracked wheat and whole-wheat flour to form a soft dough. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. (Use additional flour as needed to make the dough manageable.)
Lightly oil a large bowl, and roll the dough in it to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl loosely with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise until it doubles in size (about an hour).
Punch the dough down and let it rest 10 to 15 minutes.
Shape the dough into two loaves and let them rise until they double in size (about 45 minutes). Place in lightly oiled pans.
Place in preheated 375° F oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the loaves from the pans immediately. Let cool before slicing.
Enjoy!