Whole Wheat Bread

I make this bread once a week, it makes 4 loaves or 5 small loaves! I got the recipe from Sisters Cafe...you gotta check out their blog!

3 1/2 cups hot tap water (helps offset the cool can of milk)
1 (12oz) can evaporated milk
3 Tbs instant yeast (like SAF)
2/3 cup oil

1 cup honey (use the same measuring glass as the oil and the honey slide right out)
1 cup white flour
3 Tbs vital wheat gluten
2 Tbs lemon juice, does the same trick as dough enhancer (you can use dough enhancer if you have it)
10 cups whole wheat flour, plus more if needed

1 Tbs salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. You can do this recipe in your mixer if you have a bread attachment, but I do it by hand. I take a large bowl and add ingredients as listed. Milk, water (I measure out cold water in a liquid measuring cup and heat it in the microwave), add yeast (it starts to soften up in the warm water) oil, honey, white flour, wheat gluten (helps your wheat bread be lighter, it is like the glue that holds it together), and lemon juice. Then stir with a whisk until blended. Add 3 cups of wheat flour and mix again. Then I add the salt and the remaining flour and stir with a spoon. *Note, once you add in the 9th and 10th cup of flour it is harder to mix...not to worry.

At this point I get a large cutting board or a workable surface and brush it with flour. I grab about 1/4 of the dough and knead it on the board. I mix in the excess flour as I knead (Hey, just think you are getting a workout at the same time!) The key to kneading is when the dough no longer sticks to your skin and you push it and it bounces back...then you are done. Roll the bread and place in prepared greased bread pan. Repeat with remaining bread.

Now on the 3rd and 4th loaves, after I have finished kneading it and before I put it in the pan, I spread soft butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar (just mix it the way you like it) roll up the bread and place in pan. You can also add raisins before you begin to knead the bread....that way the raisins are throughout the bread and WALA...you have cinnamon raisin bread!

Cover bread with towel and let the bread rise at room temp for about 1-1 1/2 hours. Once the bread has about doubled, place in oven and cook for 30 min. remove when done and wait 10-15 min before cutting into the bread (helps so the bread doesn't collapse)....Enjoy!

I just keep my remaining bread in plastic bags after it has totally cooled down and we enjoy it all through the week and the cinnamon bread is great for toast in the morning!