Perfect Whole Wheat Bread

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees f/45 degrees c)
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3 cups hot water (as hot as the tap will go)
• 8 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons vital wheat gluten
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Recipe

• 1 in a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. after 5 minutes, add 2 teaspoons sugar.
• 2 in a large bowl, mix hot water, 4 cups flour and wheat gluten.
• 3 stir in oil, honey, yeast mixture and 2 more cups flour.
• 4 add salt and stir in 1-2 more cups until dough pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl.
• 5 turn out onto a floured surface and knead until not sticky, adding remaining flour until satiny and dough is just pulling away from the counter, but still tacky to touch.
• 6 place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. cover with a piece of cling wrap. let dough rest / rise for 25 minutes.
• 7 turn out onto lightly oiled surface and divide into 2 pieces. stretch dough to make a rectangle shape, roll tightly, and tuck the ends under, shaping into loaves. place in greased 9¼ x 5¼ inch loaf pans.
• 8 for solar oven: allow top of dough to rise even with top of bread pans, then bake until golden brown and hollow sounding.
• 9 for conventional oven: allow dough to rise until it has topped the pans by 1 inch, then bake at 350 degrees f (175 degrees c) for 30 minutes. do not over-bake.