Colette's Best Ever Whole Wheat Bread

This recipe is amazing! It makes delicious whole-wheat bread with the texture of white, and only has to rise once. So yummy!!




7 c whole wheat flour (Grind your own if you have a wheat grinder)

2/3 c vital wheat gluten (in the bulk bins at Winco & Food 4 Less)

2-1/2 T instant yeast



5 c steaming hot water (120-130F)



2 T salt

2/3 c oil

2/3 c honey OR 1 c sugar (I like honey the best!)

2-1/2 T bottled lemon juice



5 c whole wheat flour
Optional 3/4 c sunflower seeds, 1/2 cup millet, 1/4 cup ground flax



Mix together the first three ingredients in your mixer with a dough hook. Add water all at once and mix for 1 minute; cover and let rest for 10 minutes (this is called sponging).



Add salt, oil, honey or sugar, and lemon juice and beat for 1 minute.



Add last flour, 1 cup at a time, beating between each cup. Beat for about 6-10 minutes until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. This makes a very soft dough.



Pre-heat oven for 1 minute to lukewarm and turn off. Turn dough onto oiled counter top; divide, shape into 4 loaves, place in oiled bread pans. Let rise in warm oven for 10-15 minutes until dough reaches the top of pan. Do not remove bread from oven; turn oven to 350 F and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on racks.



This recipe can be halved to make 2 loaves.



**Another tip . . . when the dough is put into the bread pans, squish the dough softly into the corners of your bread loaf pans. This will make your bread cook more evenly and not have the large lump in the middle of your loaf.