How to Make Whole-Grain Bread

If you've mastered the art of making regular white bread, you have the skills to make whole-wheat bread. The bread, more nutritious and packed with flavor, will be slightly heavier with a nutty flavor. Whole-wheat bread is delicious eaten hot with honey, butter or jam, or let it cool and make the world's best sandwiches.

Things You'll Need

• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 3 cups warm water
• 1 tbsp. molasses
• 2/3 cup honey, divided
• 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 5 cups all purpose white flour, sifted
• 6 tbsp. butter, melted, divided
• 1 tbsp. salt
• Vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place the warm water in a large mixing bowl and add the yeast, warm water, molasses and 1/3 cup of the honey. Stir it to mix and then let it set 30 minutes.

3. Mix in half of the melted butter, salt and the remaining honey into the yeast mixture and stir thoroughly. Mix in 2 cups of the whole-wheat flour.

4. Sprinkle some white flour on a working surface and place the dough on the surface. Knead the dough with additional whole-wheat flour until the dough is still sticky but is dry enough to pull away from the floured surface.

5. Oil a large mixing bowl and place the whole-wheat dough in the bowl. Turn the dough once so that the entire ball of dough is coated with oil. Cover the bowl with a dry towel and place it in a warm place until it doubles in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

6. Punch down the whole-wheat dough and divide it into three equal portions. Form each into a loaf shape and place each one into an oiled loaf pan. Cover the pans with a dry towel and put them in a warm place to rise. Leave them until the dough rises about an inch above the loaf pan.

7. Bake the whole-wheat bread for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the loaves from the pans and brush the tops with the remaining melted butter. Allow the loaves to cool on wire racks.