Laurel's Kitchen Basic Whole Grain Bread

This comes from the cook book "Laurel's Kitchen" and is very simple and very basic...

3 cups warm water
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon salt*
6 cups whole wheat flour

Pour the warm water into a large bowl. Add the sugar and sprinkle the yeast on top of the water. In a few minutes, when the yeast comes bubbling to the top, stir in half of the whole wheat flour and beat very well, until the dough ceases to be grainy and becomes smooth and stretchy.

Add the salt and the remaining flour cup by cup, mixing very well. Knead it in the bowl until it is no longer sticky, then turn it out onto a floured board.

As the dough gets stiffer and harder to knead, sprinkle the remaining flour a little at a time on the tabletop or board and knead the dough on top of it.

Knead, push, and fold until the dough is soft and springy to the touch, and return it to the bowl. Cover the bowl snugly, allowing room for the dough to double in bulk.

Grease two pans or two 46 oz juice cans. Divide the dough in half and flatten each half into an oblong the length of the loaf pan, or, if you are using cans, mold the dough into an egg shaped blob, pinching the dough tightly together at the seams. Slide the formed loaves into the pans or cans, and push down all around the sides so that no air is trapped below.

Cover pans or cans to protect from drafts and let the loaves rise once more, until they have doubled in bulk.

Preheat oven to 375* toward the end of this rising period. When bread is rounded just above the rim, bake it for about 40 minutes.

Makes 2 loaves

* I think it is too salty with that amount of salt. I would only add two teaspoons myself

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My version for one loaf made in a bread machine made with milk, honey, and butter...

Ok, this is taken from that basic recipe and makes one loaf. If your bread machine is big enough to knead the amount for two loaves, then you could double this recipe because I still bake mine in bread pans in the oven. With using honey and oil you may have to add another tablespoon or two of flour if it is too sticky.

1 1/2 cups warm milk*
1 tablespoon honey*
1 tablespoons oil or softened butter*
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups whole wheat flour

Set bread machine on dough setting. Put milk, honey, oil, and salt in bread pan. Then add flour and yeast. Let machine knead and raise the dough until it beeps. (Or if your machine doesn't have a dough setting, after it kneads turn off machine.)

Remove from pan and put on a board or counter top and push dough out to make a triangular shape (sorta, doesn't have to be perfect), then roll up jelly roll fashion and pinch the edges to seal. Then I use the edge of my hand and push down on the ends and turn them under the now oblong round loaf. Put in oiled (I use non-stick spray) loaf pan and baking at 350* (don't reheat) for about 30 to 45 minutes.

* If you would rather just use water you can and you can leave out the oil or butter as well. If you don't want it this sweet you can use 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar or honey as it would be in the original recipe cut in half.

I've posted this in my recipe book as well...