Split-Top Cracked Wheat Bread

I had some whole wheat kernels to use up when I started this batch, so I put them in my spice grinder, and whirled away. The recipe calls for 31/2 cups water, 2 tsp. yeast,1/2 cup cracked wheat, 1/2 cup raw oatmeal, 1/2 cup wheat germ, 1 teaspoon sugar, 2 Tbsp. oil, 2 Tbsp. brown sugar, and 2 tsp yeast. I threw in 1 cup unbleached white flour just to help it rise, since it has a lot of grains in it. The rest is whole wheat flour. After making the sponge, and letting it rest, I kept kneading it, and adding whole wheat, until I had a soft, still-sticky dough. Then, I oiled my big bread bowl, and placed the dough in it to rise, flipping it once to oil the whole surface of the dough. I covered it with a plate, and let it rise for two hours. Then, I shaped it into three shapes, as you see from the photo, let it rise again, and let it bake for 45 minutes. The small one took less time.
I enjoy my set of bread baking pans. The large round loaf is made with a pottery bowl that was made just for bread. It makes a beautiful loaf with a nice crust all over. The oblong loaf is made with an antique, enameled pan that my mother had sitting on the counter for years with recipes and coupons in it. It used to have a wooden serving tray with it, but that disappeared several years back. This pan, too, makes a nice crust. The small, round loaf is made using an empty tin of some long-forgotten vegetable of fruit. I keep the largish tin around for leftover pieces of dough, or to make quick breads for gifts.