Bring 1 ¼ cups water to a boil in a small saucepan, stir in cracked wheat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Let cool to lukewarm.

Dissolve yeast in ⅓ cup of warm water; let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine cracked wheat mixture, butter, salt, molasses, honey, milk, yeast mixture, whole wheat flour, and 2 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir well.

Gradually stir in remaining all-purpose flour, ½ cup at a time, and knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.

Oil a large bowl, place the dough in it, and cover with a damp cloth. Let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Deflate the dough, divide it into two equal portions, shape into loaves, and place them into greased loaf pans. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes.