Whole Wheat Bread

This is it! My all-time favorite bread recipe. It always works, and it's always delicious.

This also works great in a Kitchenaid if you half the recipe for 2 loaves--I used to always do that before I got the Bosch.

Whole Wheat Bread

2/3 C. oil

2/3 C. honey (you can also use white sugar, brown sugar, molasses, etc., but honey is best)

3 T. yeast

2 T. salt

5 1/2 C. warm water (110-115 degrees)

Whole wheat flour (8-10 cups)

Optional: 1/3 C. vital wheat gluten*

Optional: 2-3 T. dough enhancer*

Mix oil, honey, yeast, salt, wheat gluten (if using), dough enhancer (if using), and 2 cups flour in mixer or large mixing bowl until combined. Gradually add water while still mixing, then add remaining flour until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl or mixer. Knead for 10 minutes or until the dough is no longer sticky and an indentation remains when you stick a finger in it.

Dump the flour onto a greased surface (I usually spray my table with cooking spray) and divide into 4 pieces. Shape into loaves and put in well-greased bread pans (I like to roll mine out with a rolling pin and then roll them up like a jelly roll-it gives the loaves a better shape). Cover with a towel and let rise until the loaves are about 1 1/2 to 2 inches above the top of the pan.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Since our oven is small and doesn't have super even heat distribution, I usually switch all the loaves around after 15 minutes so they bake more evenly. Immediately turn onto cooling racks.

*Notes on the optional ingredients: The vital wheat gluten is usually pretty easy to find in the baking section of the grocery store. Lots of times I'll buy it in a health foods store that has a big bulk food section, so I can just get as much as I want and pay a better price for it. Lately I've been making bread without it and it still turns out well. I think it gives it a smoother, softer texture, though.

*The dough enhancer makes a huge difference in how my bread turns out--it's softer, taller, and more consistently turns out well. I bought it at Macey's in their food storage area, but you can also find it in most grocery stores I believe. I've also heard that grinding up a vitamin C tablet will help the texture of bread, but have never tried it. But I did make this recipe for quite a while without either of the optional ingredients, and it was still delicious--just harder to get it to rise enough. You can buy the dough enhancer here or here.

Lower elevations I think usually need more yeast because of atmospheric pressure, but this recipe comes from Phoenix, AZ, which isn't very high. Without the dough enhancer, I'd maybe try adding another 1/2-1 T. of yeast to help it rise more.