Instructions: Pour the boiling water over the wheat berries. Allow to stand for two hours to soften the berries. Proof the yeast by mixing the water, sugar and yeast.

While the yeast is proofing, combine the flours and salt and drained wheat berries in a bowl.

Add the proofed yeast mixture from above, the warm milk, and the warm water.

(Note that you may use the water that was used to soak the wheat berries.) Knead well for about 10 minutes, adding additional: white flour about 1/2 cup at a time. You may need to add 3 more (4 1/2) cups, give or take a bit.

Form into a ball, place in greased bowl covered. Rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch down and knead 10 minutes, then cut in two, form loaves, and allow to rise again.

You may elect to allow the bread to rise a second time in the bowl. If so, James feels that the bread may need some help in the second rising, in the form of a bit of heat.

As to baking, this bread requires about 1 hour in a 400 F. oven. This bread should have a good crunchy crust. I have made this loaf without the wheat berries, as the crust and bread is delightful without the berries, and some members of the family refer to soft berries as "erasers" and hard berries as "rocks" - refusing to eat bread with either. However, with a bit of practice, you will be able to use the wheat berries at the right point so they will be neither "rocks" or "erasers".

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.