Whole Wheat Bread

This is the best go-to wheat bread ever.  Honestly- we'll make it and it's all gone within a few days, and that's pretty big for us.  Seeing as it's mainly just us three girls and mom and dad most of the time.  Usually we end up having it three times a day when we get it, then smother it in butter and dripping with honey.  (I know, all those carbs aren't good for you, blah, blah blah)  But hey.  It makes us happy. 

And it's not like we eat it just out of the pan.  We take it right out of the pan, let it cool a bit, and then stick it in the toaster.  That makes it healthier, right?  The toaster HAS to make stuff healthier.  You know, kinda like you burn stuff to burn all the stuff out of it.  So a nice, toasty, wonderful golden brown has to have at least some health benefits.... right? (hey. don't burst my bubble.) 

Whole Wheat Bread

6 cups whole wheat flour

4 tsp. salt

4 Tbs. instant yeast

Put the above ingredients in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix till combined.

Add the following....

2 sticks of softened butter

12 Tbs. honey

Heat 4 cups of water in microwave until about 120 degrees.  Add water to mixture in bowl.  Beat until combined.  Add up to 6 more cups of whole wheat flour and knead (switch to dough hook) for around 5 minutes.  

Cover mixing bowl with plastic wrap, and let it rise in warm place about an hour. 

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and divide the dough in half.  Pat into largish ovals (about 8"x6"), and roll up tightly to form a loaf.  Place in a greased loaf pan, and pat down gently to fill pan.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Let rise for about 7 minutes.  Bake until lightly browned and the loaf registers 190°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center, about 40 minutes or longer.

If you want to change it up a bit, you can do half of the flour bread flour instead of whole wheat.