Favorite Whole Wheat Bread

The is a recipe that I having been making weekly for years now! It’s big, soft, almost fall-apart-melt-inyour-mouth bread. It’s like a warm hug in food form! I make it with 50% whole wheat and 50% all-purpose flour, so that it’s not overly dry but also not overly unhealthy (as far as bread goes). You can really mix up the ratios yourself, though. Add more whole wheat if you would like it to be healthier, or less whole wheat if you prefer whiter bread. Additionally, it contains no eggs or dairy for those who are intolerant of them. Halve this recipe if you are wanting a smaller yield. Or if you’re like me and you prefer to have extra bread to freeze, follow the directions exactly! Enjoy! Makes 4 loaves.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup granulated sugar 3 tbsp active dry yeast 4 cups warm water 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil, plus more to grease 1 tsp salt 6 cups whole wheat flour 6 cups all-purpose flour Butter or margarine

KITCHEN emory ann kurysh

STEPS

1. In a large bowl, add the sugar, yeast, and warm water. Mix well, then cover with a tea towel for 15 minutes or until the yeast has bubbled.

2. Remove towel. Next add the oil, salt, and flour- the whole wheat first followed by the all-purpose one cup at a time. Make sure to stir in-between each cup. (It will work out to be 12 cups exactly, but it could also turn out to be closer to 11 cups or 13 cups depending on how you prefer the texture of the dough.) When the dough is no longer sticky, transfer to a floured surface. Knead for another 5 minutes until smoothed out. Form into a ball and place in a new, large, oil-greased bowl. Cover with a tea towel. Put in oven with the light on for 1 hour to let rise.

3. After dough has risen, remove it from oven and punch it down. Then grease 4 loaf pans with oil. Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. Form into the shape of a loaf and place each one in a pan. Cover loaves with a tea towel and leave on countertop to let rise for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, set the oven to 375°F.

4. After dough has risen for the second time, remove tea towel and place all 4 on the middle rack of your oven. Bake for 35 minutes or until a deep golden brown. Remove and brush with butter. Let cool down before slicing into them.

Note: This bread should be stored in an airtight container or wrapped in tin foil at room temperature. Do not refrigerate. They keep well up to a few days. Otherwise, you can wrap them and freeze them up to a few months. (Pictured is a loaf that has been frozen and thawed!)