Slightly Sweet but Very Simple Whole Wheat Bread

This recipe makes 3 - 3 1/2 pounds of bread dough - usually 2 medium size loaves. I use it for all of my bread making needs. Love it!

• Ready In: 2 hrs 30 mins
• Yields: 2 loaves

Ingredients

• 2  cups warm water
• 1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1⁄2 cup honey
• 2  teaspoons sea salt
• 1 -2  tablespoon soy lecithin (optional)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon gluten (optional)
• 5 1⁄2 cups  freshly milled flour (I like 3 parts red wheat to 1 part white wheat)
• 1⁄2 cup  freshly ground flax seed (optional)
• 1  tablespoon  whole  millet (optional)
• 1  tablespoon roasted sunflower seeds (optional)
• 1  tablespoon poppy seed (optional)
• 1  tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
• 3 1⁄2 teaspoons instant yeast

Directions

1. Combine water, oil, and honey. Add 3 cups flour, yeast, salt, lecithin, gluten, and other optional ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Add the remaining flour and knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 min.) Let rise until double. Shape into loaves or rolls. Place in greased pans, and let rise again. For loaves, bake at 350 about 28 minutes. For rolls bake at 350 for about 16 - 18 minutes.
2. I have a 2 pound bread maker and actually just dump all the ingredients into my bread maker, set it on the dough cycle, and "help" it make the dough for about 5 - 6 minutes since it's really too much for the bread maker to do on its' own. But otherwise it does the rest.
3. You can also roll this dough out (1/2 of it since it makes 2 loaves) to a 1/4 - 1/2" thickness. Drizzle lightly with honey and sprinkle with cinnamon. Roll up dough jelly roll style. Pinch the ends and seam to seal. Place loaf seam side down in greased loaf pan. Let rise until double. Bake at 350 for about 35 - 40 minutes, moving to bottom rack if top is browning too much. You could also sprinkle raisins over the cinnamon and honey before rolling up.