Foolproof Whole-Wheat Bread

This is the bread recipe my Mom used to always make when we were growing up. It is THE easiest bread recipe! It only rises once and you don't have to roll out the dough. Plus it is a great way to use up wheat that you might have in your food storage. This recipe makes 4 loaves. I usually half the recipe and make 2 loaves at a time. I will include both versions. Half recipe amounts will be in parenthesis. For best results try to grind your wheat right before you make the bread! So fresh! But if you don't have a wheat grinder (or wheat to grind) you can use store bought wheat flour, too.

Foolproof Whole-Wheat Bread

6 cups warm water (3 c. for half recipe)
2/3 cup oil (1/3 c.)2/3 cup honey (1/3 c.) 
2 Tbsp. Dough Enhancer (1 Tbsp.)
2 Tbsp. salt (1 Tbsp.)
2 Tbsp. instant yeast (1 Tbsp.)
10 cups wheat to mill in grinder-yields 16 cups freshly ground flour (8 c. ground flour)

Combine warm tap water and 7 cups (4 c.) freshly ground whole-wheat flour. Mix on low until well blended. Add salt, oil, dough enhancer, and honey. Continue to mix until well blended. Add 1 cup (1 c.) flour and sprinkle yeast over mixture. Blend thoroughly.

At this point, if making a full recipe, you may want to divide the dough in half and add flour and knead each half separately in mixer if yours doesn't have the capacity to hold the entire recipe of dough like mine. I also switch to my dough hook at this point.

Add whole-wheat flour until dough pulls away from the side of mixing bowl or is the consistency of cookie dough. (2-3 c. for half recipe) Flour amount will vary due to protein content of wheat. Stickier dough makes moister bread. Knead with dough hook for 6-12 minutes.

Oil hands. Mold dough into loaves on oiled counter. Place in pans that have been greased with shortening. (Pans greased with oil tend to stick.) Apply oil to the top of loaves if soft crust is desired. Cover loaves with towel. Let rise 1/3 in bulk for approximately 35 minutes in warm kitchen. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Remove from pans. Put on rack to cool. Optional: brush tops with butter. Yield: 4 loaves (2 loaves)