Whole Wheat Bread

From @amberskitchen on Instagram.

3 C. very warm water (water should be no hotter than would be used to fill a baby's bottle)
3/4 C. honey (can substitute sugar or coconut sugar, but honey is preferred)
1-1/2 Tbsp. active dry yeast
1 Tbsp. salt
1 egg
1/3 C. melted coconut oil (melted, then measured)
1-1/2 tsp. dough enhancer
1/4 C. vital wheat gluten
6-9 C. whole wheat flour

Place dough hook accessory on Bosch. Add water, sugar, and yeast to the mixing bowl. Put the lid on. Turn the Bosch on for a 1-2 seconds just to incorporate the sugar and yeast. Let yeast mixture sit for 10 minutes until yeast has dissolved and mixture has puffed up. Keep the lid on during this time to keep the warmth of the water inside the bowl. (If mixture does not puff up, discard and start over. The yeast did not activate either because the yeast is old or the water was too hot. If the yeast is not activated, the bread will not rise properly, so it’s better to discard and start again.)

After 10 minutes, add the salt, egg, coconut oil, dough enhancer, and vital wheat gluten to the yeast mixture. Take the lid off the bowl but keep the splash guard on. Turn the mixer on to Speed #1. Add flour cup by cup (after 7 cups, add in half-cup measurements) until mixture becomes lopsided and pulls away from the side of the bowl. DO NOT ADD TOO MUCH FLOUR, or bread will be dry. Once it seems enough flour has been added, place lid on bowl and let the Bosch continue kneading the mixture for 15 minutes. Check the dough after 15 minutes. If the mixture seems sticky, add a little more flour as needed. With lid on the bowl, let dough rise for 45-60 minutes.

After the dough has risen, dump dough onto a floured surface and divide dough into thirds. With a rolling pin, roll each portion of dough to be about 5 inches wide and 8-10 inches long. Roll up dough (like a cinnamon roll) to form a loaf. Place each loaf, seam side down, in a greased 8.5x4.5-inch loaf pan. Cover pans with a clean dish towel and let loaves rise until doubled in size, about 30-60 minutes. DO NOT OVER-RISE, or flavor and texture will suffer. Bake at 380 degrees for 30 minutes if using glass/ceramic pans or 28 minutes if using metal pans. (Bread should reach 190 degrees to be fully baked but not over-baked.)

Immediately remove bread from pans to avoid condensation, which will cause a soggy loaf. Rub tops of bread loves with butter while still warm.

Notes: If making lots of bread, purchase yeast in bulk and store in a sealed container in the freezer.

Spray measuring cup used to measure honey with nonstick baking spray before adding honey. It will make cleanup easier.

Whole wheat flour has a very short shelf life (about 3-6 months), so store extra flour in the freezer.

Hard white wheat makes the best bread if grinding your own wheat to make flour. The amount of flour will vary each time, so flour needs to be added in increments.

When baking, you may need to cover the tops of the loaves with foil during the last 10 minutes so the tops do not get too dark.

If using 9x5-inch loaf pans, cut dough into two loaves and cook for 28 minutes if using glass/ceramic pans or 26 minutes if using metal pans. Can also be used to make nine mini loaves (cook for the same amount of time, then add foil and cook a few more minutes until bottoms of loaves reach desired color).

This recipe is based on using a Bosch. The motor in most KitchenAid stand mixers is not strong enough to knead for 15 minutes. You can mix the dough by hand if you don't have a Bosch; the dough will just require an extra rise. After adding the egg, coconut oil, etc., knead the dough by hand for 5 minutes and then cover the dough and allow to rise about 45 minutes until double in size. Punch down dough and then allow dough to rise a second time, covered, for 30-45 minutes. Separate dough into three sections, and follow remaining directions (the dough will need to rise a third time in the pans before baking).