Bread making in my family goes way back. My grandmother made so much bread dough that she used a laundry tote as a mixing bowl! The recipe started with 5 sifter fulls of flour with no mention of how big the sifter was. Then it was a couple handfuls of yeast and a handful of salt. My mother used her recipe when was a child. I can still see her working the dough with her hands with bits of dough stuck on her up to her elbows. My job was to pour a small bit of water into the bowl while she worked it to the right consistency. As her skills and equipment improved she made bread in her beloved Bostch mixer. Now that she is gone, I still use her Bostch but I've found more recipes that are much less ambiguous.
This recipe was given to me by my neighbor, Karen when we lived in SLC. It was her sister-in-law's recipe that also came with a booklet she wrote called "Improving Your Bread Making by Connie Bitner." Reading this booklet has shaped how I make bread forever. It explained the process in a way that was easy for me to understand. I'm sure it is out of print but if you want to read my copy, let me know.
Whole Wheat Bread
5 1/2 cups room temp water (68 - 78 degrees F)
7 - 8 cups whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp instant yeast (or 3 Tbsp active yeast)
Mix the above ingredients then let it sit for 20 min with a dish towel over the bowl. (Use a mixer with a dough hook if you have one. If not, you'll get a good arm workout.) Mix the following together while waiting:
2/3 cup oil
2/3 cup honey (I've also used a mix of molasses and corn syrup)
2 Tbsp salt
Add the honey/oil/salt mix slowly to your dough while it is mixing. Then add more flour:
4 1/2 - 5 cups flour
Knead on setting 2 for 10 minutes (or get that arm workout going again and kneed by hand). After the kneading take a pinch of dough and do a window pane test. (Look up an explanation for this if you don't know. Basically, you are checking to see if light can pass through it.) Check the texture of the dough by poking it. It should leave a bit of residue on your finger but not stick too much or not at all. Add more flour if it's too sticky. If it's too dry and you have to add more water, good luck! It can be a mess and difficult to incorporate. It is possible to salvage though so don't give up. This is why it's best to start with less flour and work it in slowly. Breadmaking is difficult at first. Be patient with yourself! It's okay to make mistakes and a mess!
Turn the dough over in a greased bowl so the top is oily and cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Place in a warm area or proofing oven. Let it double in size. This can take about an hour or longer if it's cold out. (Don't rush it by getting it too warm or it tastes bitter.)
Cut the dough (don't tear it) into four pieces. (The recipe makes 4 large loaves but can be adjusted for whatever pans you have.) Flatten it out and squish out air bubbles. Fold it in thirds then roll it up sealing as you go giving it a slight stretch. Place the seams down in the greased bread pan.
Let it rise again until it is about an inch over the top of the pan (measured from the top, not the edge). Place the loaves in a 350-degree oven and bake for 34-35 min (less for small loves). Check for doneness with an internal temp measurement of 180 degrees. Butter the tops then turn out onto a cooling rack.
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