The Most Excellent Everyday Whole Wheat Bread

Bread is only as good as its three main ingredients (flour, water and yeast), so make sure the quality of each is excellent. Yeast must be fresh and can be inactivated by salt and heat -- always test water temperature and temper a sponge with flour before adding salt (which inactivates the yeast). And never rush a dough's rise; a dough's flavor develops with time.

This dough can be frozen and baked off at a later time. Freeze them after they have risen and punch down. When ready to bake, defrost in the refrigerator for 24 hours, place in greased pan and let rise a second time. Bake as per listed instructions.

Divide recipe in half and it can be kneaded in a bread machine. Take the dough out of the machine after kneading, put it in a pan and let it rise, and bake it for 25-35 minutes.

Ingredients
3 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
2 T butter, melted
1/3 cup honey
5 cups bread flour
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3 T butter, melted
1/3 cup honey
1 T salt
2 [1/4 ounce] packages active dry yeast

Optional:
sunflower seeds
oats
wheat germ
1/8 cup flax seed powder

Preparing the dough:
In a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/3 cup honey. Add 5 cups white bread flour, and stir to combine. Let set for 30 minutes, or until big and bubbly.

Mix in 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup honey, and salt. Stir in 2 cups whole wheat flour. Flour a flat surface and knead with whole wheat flour until not real sticky - just pulling away from the counter, but still sticky to touch. This may take an additional 2-4 cups of whole wheat flour. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a wet dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled.

Punch down, and divide into 3 loaves. Place in greased 9- x 5-inch loaf pans, and let rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes; do not overbake. Lightly brush the tops of loaves with 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine when done to prevent crust from getting hard. Cool completely.


Variations:

Let dough rise twice for even better texture.

Substitute molasses for the honey, or 1/2 honey and 1/2 molasses, or 1/2 molasses and 1/2 agave nectar (or 1/2 honey and 1/2 agave nectar), or white sugar, or 1/2 white sugar and 1/2 brown sugar.

Substitute walnut, olive or canola oil for the butter that goes into the dough.

Loaves can be baked, cooled, wrapped in aluminum foil, placed in a ziplock bag and frozen until ready to eat.

If making in a Kitchen Aid mixer, use a dough hook on #2-speed for 10 minutes.


After the dough has rested in the mixer with the water, honey, yeast, and bread flour turn the mixer on and add the butter and salt. Add 1/2 cup of wheat bran and 1/2 cup of wheat germ, then begin adding whole wheat flour ONLY UNTIL IT COMES TOGETHER! Change to the dough hook and knead for 5-7 minutes on #1-speed. If the dough is just spinning on the hook, add 1 tablespoon of liquid. The dough should be somewhat sticky but not sink to the bottom of the bowl when the mixer is turned off - It should keep its shape.


This bread can be made with all whole wheat flour - bread will be dense. Or ratios between whole wheat flour and bread flour and can be reversed. Or 5-6 cups whole wheat flour to 2-3 cups bread flour, 1/4 cup of ground flax seeds. If you use only whole wheat flour, add vital wheat gluten (1 tablespoon per cup of flour) and 1/4 cup of dry milk. Let the sponge sit for about an hour and reduce the honey to about 1/3 cup total. After the initial mixing, let the dough knead for 7-8 minutes on #2-speed on the Kitchen Aid mixer. The trick to using more whole wheat flour is to knead it for a long time in order to get the gluten going (#2-speed for about 10 minutes). Cold storage of flours, flaxseed and yeast (even in the freezer) keeps them fresher and more nutritious; just bring to room temperature before using.

5 cups of unbleached white flour (bread flour is white flour with baking soda in it) and 2-3 cups of whole wheat flour, plus flaxseed meal for more nutrition, if desired. Allow this dough to more rise times due to not using bread flour.

Substitute 1/2 cup each ground flax, cracked wheat kernels, and steel-cut oatmeal for 1 1/2 cups of the whole wheat flour.

Add 1/3 cup onion flakes in the knead cycle for onion rolls.

Add cinnamon, sugar and raisins.

In a grain mill put 1/3 hard spring red wheat, 1/3 spelt, 1/3 soft white winter wheat, approximately 1 cup of each plus (up to 4 1/2-5 cups). Use for the proofing/soaking phase. Then continue with whole wheat flour (or bread flour).