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¾ cup coarse bulgur wheat (128 g)

2 teaspoons anise seed

1 cup water (235 ml)

2 teaspoons active dry yeast (¼ oz or 7 g)

1 cup warm water (235 ml)

2 tablespoons oil (30 ml) (optional)

¼ cup honey (60 ml)

2 eggs, slightly beaten

5 cups finely ground whole wheat flour (750 g)

1 tablespoon salt (16.5 g)

Light, sweet, nubbly, with the perfume of anise, this bread comes into its fullest appeal on the second day.

Cover grain and seeds with cold water and let stand overnight; or pour boiling water over them, and let stand for ten minutes in mixing bowl. The wheat may not cook or absorb all the water; that’s okay. Cool to lukewarm.

Dissolve the yeast in the cup of warm water.

Mix oil and honey well, and add eggs. Add to the bulgur mixture. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl, and add the liquids. Feel the dough to see whether it needs more water, and if so, add the water by wetting your hands and working it in as you knead. It may require as much as a cup. The dough will be sticky, but knead it well so it can carry the bulgur. The dough should be soft because the wheat will continue to absorb water, particularly if you did not soak it overnight.

Form the dough into a ball and place it smooth side up in the bowl. Cover and keep in a warm, draft-free place. After about an hour and a half, gently poke the center of the dough about ½ inch deep with your wet finger. If the hole doesn’t fill in at all or if the dough sighs, it is ready for the next step. Press flat, form into a smooth round, and let the dough rise once more as before.

Press the dough flat, cut in two, and shape into rounds. Let them rest until well softened, then form the loaves carefully to avoid tearing the smooth surface; a judicious dusting of flour on the board helps. Place the shaped loaves in greased 8″ 4″ pans, or make round hearth loaves in pie tins or on a cookie sheet. Proof in a warm, slightly humid place until very high. They are ready for the oven when the dough slowly returns a wet fingerprint. It may happen that because of the roughness of the dough, the surface of the loaf tears. If it does, then just before putting it in the oven, slash the top with a serrated knife in an artistic way so the spontaneous rip looks intentional.

Place the risen loaves in a well-preheated oven, 350°F, for 45 to 50 minutes.

Manuel’s Seed Bread

3 cups whole wheat bread flour (450 g)

1 ¼ teaspoons salt (7 g)

1 tablespoon sesame seeds (9 g)

2 teaspoons poppy seeds (7 g)

3 tablespoons sunflower seeds (10 g)

1 ½ cups water, tepid (375 ml)

This naturally leavened bread has a wonderful taste and dense but bready texture. It won’t rise much in the bowl as it ferments, but it may surprise you by springing in the oven. The fermentation time is 12 to 18 hours at room temperature, but on a cold winter day it may take longer.

Combine all the ingredients except the water. Make a well in the center, pour in the water, and mix into a slightly stiff dough, adding more water or flour if necessary. Knead well. Keep the dough in a covered container to protect it from invading critters, and in a reasonably cool place, about 70°F. Let it ferment for 12 to 18 hours, kneading it about two-thirds of the way through the rising time to refresh the dough.

When the dough feels dry (unsticky) and elastic, divide it in two and knead gently into rounds. Let it rest protected from drafts for another 30 minutes to soften, then form into 2 small round loaves. Sprinkle poppy seeds on the table and roll the loaf tops on them.

Place in two greased 1-quart bowls or on a greased cookie sheet. Put the shaped loaves into an oven preheated to 350°F without further rising, and bake until done, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. The wheat-colored crust will brown lightly. Allow to cool completely; slice thin.

Lemony-Fennelly Bread

2 teaspoons active dry yeast (¼ oz or 7 g)

½ cup warm water (120 ml)

5 ½ cups finely ground whole wheat flour (830 g)

1 ½ teaspoon fennel seeds

2 ½ teaspoons salt (14 g)

1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon