How to Cook Cracked Wheat: Soaking, Ratios and Timings

Quick answer

Rinse cracked wheat, then simmer it in about 2 to 2.5 parts water to 1 part grain for 20 to 30 minutes, or soak it in cold water for 30 to 60 minutes if you want a chewier result for salads and cold dishes. Because cracked wheat is not pre-cooked the way bulgur is, it needs a genuine simmer rather than a brief soak-and-steam, so taste a grain before you drain it.

Rinse and sort before anything else

Cracked wheat is simply whole wheat kernels broken into coarse pieces, so small stones or chaff can survive the milling process. Put the grain in a bowl of cold water, swirl it with your fingers, and let the debris float or settle where you can see it. Pour off the cloudy water and repeat until it runs mostly clear.

This rinse also removes surface starch, which is what makes cracked wheat gluey when it is cooked without washing. If you skip it, the finished dish tastes pasty rather than separate and nutty.

Choose your method: simmer or soak

Simmering gives you soft, fluffy grains for pilafs, stuffings and hot side dishes. Soaking gives you firmer, distinct grains for tabbouleh-style salads, where the grain should hold its shape against chopped herbs and lemon.

You can also combine the two: soak for 30 minutes, then simmer briefly for a middle texture. What you should not do is treat cracked wheat like bulgur and simply pour boiling water over it. Bulgur is parboiled and dried before it reaches you, so it rehydrates in minutes; cracked wheat is raw and needs actual heat.

Getting the cracked wheat water ratio right

Start with 1 cup of cracked wheat to 2 cups of water for a firm, separate result, and move toward 2.5 cups if you want a softer, more porridge-like texture. Coarse cracked wheat absorbs more than fine, so check the grain size before you commit.

Add salt with the water rather than at the end, about half a teaspoon per cup of grain, so it seasons evenly. If you are soaking rather than simmering, use enough cold water to cover the grain by at least two fingers, because it will swell noticeably.

Simmering times and the taste test

Bring the water and grain to a boil, then drop to a low simmer and cover. Fine cracked wheat is usually tender in 15 to 20 minutes; coarser grain takes 25 to 30 minutes. Set a timer for the low end and start tasting rather than trusting the clock alone.

A grain is done when it is tender but still offers a little resistance at the center. If the water runs dry before that point, add hot water a few tablespoons at a time instead of cold, which would stall the cooking.

Rest, drain and fluff

Take the pot off the heat and leave it covered for 5 to 10 minutes. The residual steam finishes the center of each grain and evens out the texture. Then fluff with a fork, not a spoon, which would compress the grains into a mash.

If any standing water remains after the rest, drain it. For salads, spread the cooked grain on a tray to cool quickly so it does not keep steaming and turn soft.

Where local durum cracked wheat fits

Cracked wheat made from local durum has a firmer bite and a nuttier, slightly sweet flavor than generic soft wheat, which suits pilafs and dishes where the grain is meant to be noticed. That firmness also means it tolerates a longer simmer without collapsing.

Because the catalog does not list a specific grind size for the cracked wheat, judge by eye when you open the bag: if the pieces look like coarse crumbs, lean toward the shorter cooking time; if they look like small pebbles, add a few minutes and a splash more water.

Step-by-step: cooking cracked wheat

1. Rinse the grain: Cover 1 cup of cracked wheat with cold water, swirl, and pour off the cloudy water. Repeat two or three times until it runs mostly clear. Checkpoint: if the water is still milky after three rinses, rinse once more, or the finished dish will taste pasty.
2. Soak if you want firm grains: For salads, cover the rinsed grain with cold water and soak 30 to 60 minutes, then drain well. Skip this step entirely if you are simmering for a hot dish. Checkpoint: soaked grain should be chewy, not soft. If it is already tender, drain and use it cold rather than cooking it further.
3. Measure water at 2 to 2.5 to 1: Use 2 cups water per cup of grain for a firm result, up to 2.5 cups for softer. Add about half a teaspoon of salt per cup of grain with the water. Checkpoint: coarse grain needs the higher end of the range, fine grain the lower.
4. Simmer low and covered: Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer and cover. Cook 15 to 20 minutes for fine grain and 25 to 30 minutes for coarse. Checkpoint: if the pan dries out early, add hot water a few tablespoons at a time, never cold.
5. Taste before you drain: Pull a few grains out and bite them. You want tender with a slight resistance at the center, not crunchy and not mushy. Checkpoint: crunchy means more simmering; collapsing means you have gone past the useful window.
6. Rest, then fluff with a fork: Off the heat, keep the lid on for 5 to 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork and drain any standing water. Checkpoint: for salads, spread the grain on a tray to cool so it stops steaming and stays separate.

Product facts

• ALBARAKEH WHEAT Cracked Local Wheat (1kg): Local cracked wheat, traditionally used in the Levant as a substitute for white rice before white rice became commercially available. A grain with a long history in pilafs and everyday cooking, so it works as a direct rice swap in dishes you already make.
• ALBARAKEH WHEAT Cracked Local Wheat (1kg): Compared to bulgur, cracked wheat is higher in nutritional value because it is not pre-cooked and dried, a process that results in a loss of 40% of nutrients. Explains why cracked wheat needs a real simmer while bulgur only needs soaking, and why the two are not interchangeable in a recipe.
• ALBARAKEH Local Durum kernels: Local durum kernels grown in Madaba, the Jordan Valley, Al-Karak and Irbid, suitable for making roasted wheat, bakkileh, saligah and burbarah, and for sprouting. Useful if you want to crack or grind your own grain for a fresher, coarser result than a pre-cracked bag.
• ALBARAKEH Local Whole Durum Wheat (1kg): Local whole durum wheat flour, stone-milled and grown in Madaba, the Jordan Valley, Al-Karak and Irbid, with a nutty sweet flavor suited to flat bakes and pastries. A companion purchase if you want to use the same local durum in bread alongside your cooked cracked wheat dishes.