Soft 100% Whole Wheat Bread

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
• 3 tablespoons melted butter or coconut oil or olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey or molasses or maple syrup
• 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten
• 2 tablespoons flax seed meal (optional)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

Directions

1. 1

   To prepare the dough:.

2. 2

   (Hand method) Combine all ingredients and mix until you have a shaggy dough. The dough will seem wet. Let the dough rest, covered, for 20 minutes, then knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Allow dough to rise, covered, for 1-2 hours or until puffy and nearly doubled in bulk.

3. 3

   (Mixer method) In bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine all ingredients and mix them until you have a shaggy dough. The dough will seem wet. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes, then knead by machine until fairly smooth, about 5-10 minutes. Allow dough to rise, covered, for 1-2 hours or until puffy and nearly doubled in bulk.

4. 4

   (Bread machine method) Place all ingredients in bread machine and set to dough cycle.

5. 5

   To shape loaves:.

6. 6

   After the dough has risen, gently deflate, shape into a log, and place in a lightly greased 9x5 bread pan or 2 small pans. Cover with towel or lightly greased plastic wrap and allow to rise in warm place for about 30 mins to 1 hour, until its crowned about 2 inches over the rim of the pan. Preheat oven to 350 about halfway through the rising time.

7. 7

   To bake the loaves:.

8. 8

   If desired, brush top of loaf with milk or egg white and sprinkle with oatmeal, poppy seeds, etc. Bake bread in preheated 350 oven for 45 minutes or until it turns a deep brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.