WHOLE WHEAT BREAD Joyce Roundy

Made with wimpy hands instead of a bread mixer. I use this recipe, minus the added gluten, at home with my bread hook to do the kneading.

5 ½ cups warm water

2 Tbsp yeast

2 Tbsp salt

2/3 cup honey

2/3 cup oil

2 cups bread flour

2 Tbsp gluten (in a little box with flours at grocery store)

Approx 12 cups whole wheat flour

Put warm water in large mixing bowl and sprinkle yeast on top. Add salt, honey, and oil; stir. Let sit for about 10 minutes, until yeast makes bubbles on the surface.

Add bread flour, gluten, and about 7 cups of the whole wheat flour, stirring with a spoon. Add remaining whole wheat flour, 1-2 cups at a time, kneading with hands after each addition. (Can knead in bowl or on clean counter.) Continue adding flour and kneading until dough is stiff enough to divide into loaves.

Grease 3 9x5-inch loaf pans, or 4 8x4-inch loaf pans. Divide dough equally between loaf pans, cover with towel, and let rise until dough is about ½ inch over top of pans. (With only 2 Tbsp gluten, this dough will not be strong enough to sustain greater height. Too much gluten---bread takes on a rubbery texture. Play with gluten amount until it is as you like it.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. If baked loaves don’t slip right out of pans, let them cool for about 10 minutes and try again.

Note: Since this bread has no preservatives, it will mold quickly, so store in freezer (refrigerator temp stales the bread). I like to slice a loaf, put it in a freezer bag in the freezer, then break off slices as needed.