100% Whole Wheat Bread

After a long search for the perfect light and fluffy whole wheat bread made with freshly ground flour, this is what I came up with. For the best results, use white wheat kernels (not red)--it gives it a MUCH lighter taste! This is a single-rise recipe, which means you spend less time messing with the dough.

• Ready In: 1 hr 40 mins
• Serves: 64
• Yields: 4 loaves

Ingredients

• 6  cups  wheat (makes 9-10 cups flour)
• 3  vitamin C tablets, 500 mg
• 4  cups warm water
• 1⁄2 cup non-fat powdered milk
• 1⁄2 cup olive oil (or canola, etc.)
• 1⁄2 cup honey (or sugar)
• 2  tablespoons instant yeast (I use SAF brand, red label)
• 1⁄2 cup gluten flour
• 2  tablespoons salt

Directions

1. Grind wheat and vitamin C tablets together in mill on finest setting.
2. In a large bowl or heavy duty mixer, mix water, powdered milk, oil, honey, and 3 cups of the freshly ground flour until smooth.
3. Add the yeast and gluten flour, then mix for 2 minutes. (Because this recipe calls for instant yeast, you don't have to proof the yeast first).
4. Add the salt, and gradually mix in the rest of the flour.
5. Mix dough for 10-12 minutes in a heavy-duty mixer until dough forms into a ball (add small amounts of extra flour if it is too wet).
6. Preheat oven to 150 degrees (warm setting). When it’s preheated, turn it off.
7. Put dough onto oiled counter, knead it briefly until smooth, and cut into 4 equal parts (or if your pans are large, cut into 3 parts). Roll dough into loaves, as if you're rolling up a sleeping bag, and plop into sprayed bread pans, seam side down.
8. Put pans in oven (make sure it’s warm, but turned off). Let rise for 40 minutes, then turn oven to 350 degrees (leave the loaves in oven while it's heating), and set timer for 20-25 minutes. When loaves are a dark golden brown, remove from oven.
9. Turn loaves out onto cloth, and lightly coat tops with butter or oil to keep them soft. Cover loaves with cloth while they cool.