This is a basic bread recipe. It produces a rich, brown loaf with a slight honey taste. You may increase the amount of honey for a sweeter loaf. Following this recipe are several variations that include different grains, sesame seeds, dried fruit, or nuts. Experiment with the recipe, and you will find a new taste every time you make bread!

Makes 2 loaves.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups warm water
• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 5 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 to 3 cups unbleached white flour

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water. The water should feel slightly hotter than body temperature (about 100° to 110°), but it should not be so hot that it kills the yeast. Add honey, oil, and salt. Stir well. Add both whole wheat and unbleached white flour 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition.
2. When dough is stiff and forms a rough ball, turn it onto a floured surface. If dough is manageable before you have added all the unbleached white flour, turn it out and knead in as much flour as you need until dough is not sticky. Knead dough for 5 to 8 minutes, repeating a rhythmic push, turn, and fold. Dough should be soft and elastic, springing slightly when pinched.
3. Oil a bowl. Put dough in the bowl, turning to coat all sides with oil. Cover and let rise in a warm place. Let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
4. Punch down and knead several times to work out the air bubbles. Reshape the dough into a ball and put it back into the bowl. Cover the bowl, and let the dough rise again until doubled, about 30 to 45 minutes. (Letting the dough rise a second time is not absolutely necessary, but it results in a finer textured loaf. We usually let the dough rise twice when we use a lot of whole wheat flour.)
5. Punch the dough down and shape it into 2 loaves. Place each loaf in a buttered loaf pan. (Always prepare pans with butter, margarine, or vegetable shortening instead of oil. Dough does not rise easily in an oiled pan, and the oil is often absorbed by the dough, causing the loaf to stick.) Cover loaves with a cloth, and let them rise again for 20 to 30 minutes, until doubled.
6. Bake the loaves in an oven preheated to 350° for 45 minutes to 1 hour. To check a loaf, tap on the bottom crust.
7. If the loaf sounds hollow and hard, it is done. If the loaf feels soft and sounds dense, return it to the oven and check it again in 5 to 10 minutes. Cool the loaves on a rack completely before slicing. Store in a plastic bag.

VARIATIONS

• BRAN: Follow the above recipe, but substitute molasses for the honey (or use part honey and
  part molasses). Add 1 1/2 cups bran when you add the whole wheat flour, and use only 2 cups
  of whole wheat flour. Add up to 4 or 4 1/2 cups unbleached white flour. You may want to add
  1/2 cup raisins.

• CORN-RYE: Follow the above recipe, but substitute the following flours for the whole wheat
  flour: 1 cup cornmeal, 2 cups rye flour, and 2 cups whole wheat flour. Add unbleached white
  flour as needed.

• NUT: Follow the above recipe, but add 1 cup finely chopped nuts before you add the flour. Try
  peanuts, pecans, or walnuts.

• MILLET: Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil, and stir in 1/2 cup millet. Return to a boil, and then
  reduce to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for approximately 30 minutes or until all water is absorbed. Let cool. Follow the recipe for Whole Wheat Bread. Add the cooked millet to the dough before you add the flour. The millet loaf is good when it is made with half whole wheat flour and half unbleached white flour, approximately 7 to 8 cups total flour.

• OATS: Follow the above recipe. Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups rolled oats when you add the flour. The oat flavor tends to come through better if you use more unbleached white flour than whole wheat flour, so we like to use 2 cups of whole wheat flour and 5 to 5 1/2 cups of unbleached white flour. Try brushing the top of the loaf with egg white and sprinkling with oats just before baking.

• SESAME: Follow the above recipe. Add 1 cup of plain or lightly toasted sesame seeds when you add the flour. If you combine sesame seeds and rolled oats in the same loaf, you will get a moist loaf with a crunch. Use 1 cup toasted sesame seeds and 1/2 to 3/4 cup rolled oats in all. As suggested under the oat variation, brush the loaf with egg white and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, rolled oats, and a little salt.

NOTE:

• TOASTING SESAME SEEDS: To toast sesame seeds, dry-roast them in a small sauté pan on top of the stove
  over medium heat. Stir constantly for about 3 minutes or until they begin to pop and turn light brown.