Recipe: Whole Wheat Bread

If you read the label of your store-bought bread and wonder if any of the ingredients are edible, here's an easy bread recipe that is tasty-times. I've been making it about once-a-week and eating it with jam, butter, honey, microwaved for a few seconds, my kids will eat it...it just keeps giving.

This bread takes me back to my childhood. My dad religiously made whole wheat bread, toasted a slice, sprinkled it with cinnamon and sugar, cubed it, and ate it like cereal in a bowl with milk...?....
His wheat grinder was a staple on our kitchen countertop. Dad and the Little Red Hen were in an elite club. Now that I'm feeding little humans, I appreciate the value in each step you can do yourself to ensure quality and the real-foodness of it.  But I still buy my whole wheat.

The recipe makes 3 loaves. I like to make one monster loaf for sandwiches and the like, and 2 shrimpier ones for snacking. It comes from one of my favorite sites, All Recipes.


Ingredients

• 3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup honey
• 5 cups bread flour
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

1. 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.
2. 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 to 4 cups of whole wheat flour. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled.
3. Punch down, and divide into 3 loaves. Place in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch. I put it in the oven at the lowest heat (170) to make it rise faster.
4. 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