100% Whole Wheat Bread

I was lazy to go to the store to buy some, but I wasn't lazy about making my own 100% whole wheat homemade bread! Here is the recipe I used which has been adapted from King Arthur's recipe. I only had enough ingredients for 1 loaf of bread, so I divided this recipe in half when I made it. The directions may look overwhelming, but really, it's easy to make especially if you do it in a stand mixer.

100% Whole Wheat Bread
(adapted from King Arthur Traditional Whole Wheat Flour bag) About 3 hours - makes 2 loaves

8 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup of non-fat dry milk (powder)
5 teaspoons of instant yeast (I used 1 packet dry active yeast)
2 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used canola oil)
1/2 cup honey
2 2/3 cups of room temperature water

-Mix the flour, dry milk, instant yeast, and salt in the work bowl of a standing mixer (or a regular mixing bowl)
-Add the oil, honey, and water and stir until all the flour is hydrated
-Knead with the dough hook on low speed for 5 minutes (or knead by hand for 10 minutes) until a smooth, slightly tacky ball forms. The dough should clear the sides and bottom of the bowl, add flour to achieve this if necessary.
-Place the dough in a bowl sprayed lightly with oil, cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rise until doubled, about 1 hour (I place it in a warm oven)

-Spray two 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf pans with nonstick spray

-Dump the dough onto a counter and gently knead a few times to degas
-Work the dough into a ball and divide it into 2 equal pieces (if making 2 loaves)

-Form the dough into a loaf by pressing it into a rectangle (I made mine as big as my cutting board) then rolling it up, pushing down on the seam with the side of your hand as you go. Fold the ends under the roll, and pinch all the seams closed.
-Place rolled dough into pans
-Cover pans with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise until it crests 1 inch above the top of the pan, approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour (mine took 35 minutes in a warm oven)

-Slash the loaves down the middle (I then brushed with melted butter -but it sort of deflated it!)

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-Bake on the middle rack for 20 minutes, turn the loaves, and bake another 20 minutes
-Remove the loaves from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack

*Oh! Something I did want to ask here and did so on Twitter was... those who have made homemade bread, how do you keep it fresh after day 1? I've always kept it in a ziploc bag, but after day 1 it's only best as toast. lol. It's deterred me from making it more often because it's not as fresh, since it becomes more dense.

Dorie Greenspan responded to me about it on Twitter, and she says: doriegreenspan@MommyImHungry try keeping it cut side down on a cutting board or in a bread box. I find plastic makes bread go soft and gooshy.

Do you have a bread slicer guide? It's great!

enjoy,