Honey Whole Wheat Bread

Honey Whole Wheat Bread
 

3 cups warm water
1/4 cup molasses or brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 ounce yeast (1 packet)

1/2 cup oil, margarine or butter, softened
   
2 teaspoons salt   
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cups all-purpose flour   
4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  

In a large mixing bowl add warm water, honey, molasses or  brown sugar and stir.  Add yeast and let sit for about 5 minutes until you see it begin to look a bit frothy.  This means the yeast is working.

Add 1/2 cup oil (or margarine or butter) and stir.  Add salt, pepper (this makes it really nice) and add the white flour.  Using a spoon, a hand mixer or the dough hook on your large mixer, incorporate the ingredients together - mixing for about 3 minutes.  Only use a spoon or heavy duty mixer equipped with a bread hook from this point on. 
Now add 4-1/2  cups of whole wheat flour.  If it gets too stiff to handle with a bread hook (on a larger machine) then turn out onto a floured surface and continue kneading, by hand, for 10 minutes.  If the dough feels 'very' sticky, add a bit more flour.  It should be a medium-heavy dough.  Continue mixing with a dough hook or kneading by hand for 10 minutes total.

Oil a large bowl and turn bread dough into it.  Flip dough over, making sure all sides are oiled.  Cover with a clean tea towel or cling wrap.  Allow to rise until doubled - about 45-60 minutes.

Flatten the dough and cut into 2 or 3 pieces - depending upon how big your loaf pans are.  Mine are large so I make two extra-large loaves.



Prepare loaf pans as follows:  *If you have baking or parchment paper, cut a piece twice as large as each pan.  Crumple it a bit (or get it slightly damp) so it fits into the pan.  Using a pastry brush, brush a bit of oil on the inside of the parchment paper.  (If you are not using parchment paper, then simply oil your baking pans well.)

Flatten each piece of dough and shape into a loaf, making sure any seams are well-pressed together. 

Prepare loaf pans as follows:  *If you have baking or parchment paper, cut a piece twice as large as each pan.  Crumple it a bit (or get it slightly damp) so it fits into the pan.  Using a pastry brush, brush a bit of oil on the inside of the parchment paper.  (If you are not using parchment paper, then simply oil your baking pans well.)

Add dough to the loaf pans, cover lightly and allow to rise until double.  Depending upon the temperature of your kitchen, this should take between 45 minutes and 1-1/2 hours. 

Heat oven to 180C or 350F.  Place pans on racks so they do not touch each other directly.  Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes or until a hollow sound is heard when you tap the top of one of the loaves.  I have baked so much that I can usually smell when it is done.

Remove pans to a cooling rack.  If you have used parchment/baking paper, you can now lift the loaves out of the pans to cool on the rack.  If you have used oiled pans, wait about 5-10 minutes and invert onto cooling rack to encourage bread to come out.

*It is best, especially when baking with honey, to use parchment/baking paper as food will come out of the pans effortlessly.


Makes three loaves or two HUGE loaves
K (P) or dairy if you use butter