How to Make Bulgur Wheat at Home

Step 1

Transfer the wheat to a large bowl with enough cold water to cover it by 2-inches. Leave it to soak overnight.Quick soak method: Alternatively, you can use boiling water and leave it to soak for around 2-3 hours.

Step 2

Cook the wheat berries until al dente. To do this, combine the wheat and enough water to cover them with at least an inch of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for between 60-80 minutes. The wheat is ready when it breaks down when pressed between your finger and thumb.

Step 3

There are three ways to leave the wheat to dry: air-drying, in the oven, or using a dehydrator.To air-dry, spread the wheat in a single layer across a large tray (or multiple trays if needed). Then leave until fully dry. This method is best done in warm/dry climates and can take up to 2 days to fully dry.Alternatively, you can spread them across dehydrator trays or oven trays and dehydrate at 100 ºF/40 ºC (if your oven goes that low) until fully dried - which should only take a few hours.Lastly, you could spread them across baking trays in the oven at 200 ºF/95 ºC until they are dried enough to "crack" easily - this is usually between 1-2 hours.

Step 4

You can either use a blender, grain mill, spice grinder, or even a ziplock bag and a rolling pin to crack the wheat. The amount you grind them for will impact their coarseness.I recommend doing this in small batches so you don’t over-blend/process the grains closest to the blade. When using a spice grinder, I recommend using it for 20-30 seconds, shaking a little. For a high-speed blender, pulse and shake the jug to more evenly grind the wheat.

Step 5

Sift/sieve the mixture to separate the different coarseness of the bulgur wheat. First, use a fine-mesh sieve to first strain the "floury" consistency (this can be used as superfine/fine bulgur for puddings, etc.).Then use a sieve with slightly larger holes to sift once more. The sifted bulgur will be a "medium coarseness" bulgur. The remaining unsifted bulgur wheat will be a combination of coarse/extra-coarse.

Step 6

Store the bulgur wheat in an airtight container in a cool, dry location for up to 6 months (it should last more than 12 months, but I try to use each batch within 6). You can also freeze it for several years!Cooked bulgur: if you decide to cook the bulgur (method in the FAQs), you can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or within the freezer for 10-12 months.