Mom's Honey Wheat Bread

Description:
Delicious, light, whole wheat bread.

Ingredients:
5 cups hot tap water (140 F)
1/3 c oil
1/3 c honey
2 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons yeast
approximately 12-14 cups whole wheat flour

Directions:
Use Bread mixer with kneading arm.
Put hot tap water into bowl. Add 5 cups flour, oil, honey, and salt. Mix briefly until flour is wet. Add yeast and mix briefly again. Add 6 more cups of flour. Turn machine onto low speed and continue adding flour a little at a time. Stop adding flour when dough has formed a mass, and is not sticking to the sides of the bowl.

When dough reaches this stage, you have enough flour. Knead the dough on high speed for six minutes. (While the dough is kneading, I grease the bread pans.)

When the dough is ready, take the bowl off, put a light coating of oil on your hands and on your work surface. Remove the dough from the bowl. The oil will allow you to work with the dough without it sticking to your hands or the work surface. Use the oil instead of extra flour.

Divide dough into four equal portions, shape loaves and put in greased pans. Place pans in warm (140 F) oven to rise until it has doubled in bulk (usually about 30 minutes). When the dough has doubled in bulk let the bread bake about 40 minutes at 350 F. Check occasionally to make sure top is not browning too quickly. If this happens, place a piece of foil lightly on top to reflect over heat.

Bread is done when top crust is nicely browned and loaf has a hollow sound when "thumped". The bottom crust should be nicely browned.

Turn out on wire rack to cool. Rub butter on top of crust while warm if desired. After bread is cooled store in plastic bags. Keep refrigerated for best nutrition content. Can freeze.

Number Of Servings:4 loaves