Seven Grain Whole Wheat Bread

Instructions

In your Kitchen-aid mixer bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water using a whisk. Stir in the honey, followed by the oil and salt.

Add 2 cups of the white flour, the whole wheat flour, gluten and seven grain; mix well (use the dough hook at speed 2). Add the remaining 2 cups of white flour and mix for about 7-10 minutes. Dough should not stick to the side of the bowl when being mixed.

Add additional white flour if necessary in 1/4 cup increments. Be careful not to add too much. Dough should be slightly tacky!

Coat a large metal bowl with a little canola oil. Carefully remove the dough from the Kitchen-aid bowl and put it on a lightly floured board (or counter) and knead by hand a few seconds to work the last of the flour in, if needed. Shape into a flat ball. You may need to lightly flour your hands.

Place the ball of dough in the large oiled bowl, put a little oil on your hands and rub the top and sides of the dough. Cover with a clean flour sack dish towel, put in a warm place away from drafts and let rise until double in size (about 1 hr. 30 minutes).

Once the dough has risen, punch it down. Using a serrated knife, separate the dough into two balls. With a rolling pin (rub a little flour on it to prevent sticking) roll out each ball to about 6-7 inches wide and about 1-inch thick. Roll up the dough, tuck all sides under loaf and push forward to seal. Give it a quarter turn and tuck again, then push one last time and shape to fit in loaf pans.

Place each loaf in a greased bread pan. Cover loaves with a clean flour sack dish towel, put in a warm place away from drafts and let rise until dough is doubled (about 45 minutes).

Transfer the loaves to your oven, turn to 350 degrees and bake for about 35 minutes. Top should be nice and brown.

Remove from oven and immediately butter the crusts to keep them soft. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool or eat warm.