Honey Whole Wheat Bread

Directions

1. Mix water and milk in sauce pan to heat to 115 F.
2. Pour into large mixing bowl, add olive oil, honey, sea salt.
3. Let cool to 105 F.
4. Measure the flours: sift together 4 cups of whole wheat and 4 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour. Reserve 4 cups of white flour.
5. Heat 1 cup warm water to 102-105 F, add the yeast to dissolve.
6. Stir, it will become foamy and small bubbles on surface of water.
7. Let set about 5-8 minutes to allow yeast proof, become active.
8. Pour yeast into the seasoned milk/water mixture.
9. Add 4 cups of blended flour, beat thoroughly.
10. Add remaining blended flour, beat together until dough sticks together.
11. Using reserved flour, lightly flour bread board.
12. Pour out the dough, flour hands, knead together until dough handles easily.
13. Let rest for 10 minutes on bread board.
14. Resume kneading for 10 minutes, adding more flour to keep from sticking on board. Knead until smooth and elastic.
15. (Knead by pressing with heel of both hands, turn 1/4 circle, turn down over in half, knead again continuing same technique.)
16. Oil a large bowl, roll the dough into a ball, making sure it is covered with thin layer of oil.
17. Cover bowl, place in warm, 75-85 F, area to rise until double in bulk, about 1 hour. Do not disturb during rise time.
18. Grease 3 9 x 5 1/2 x 3 inch bread pans.
19. When finger is pressed into dough leaving an indention, it is ready to be punch down with fists, allowing the gases escape.
20. Pour on lightly floured board, but into 3 equal parts. Roll each into a ball, let rest.
21. Roll each ball into a rectangle about 9 x 12 ", starting the 9" end, roll up, pinching the ends and seam together, putting seam on the bottom. Put into the loaf pans, ends touching pan.
22. Lightly grease tops of the bread for a soft crust.
23. Cover the pans and set in warm place to rise again, about 45 minutes.
24. Preheat oven to 375 F.
25. At the end of second rise, put into oven to bake about 45 minutes. Put foil over top of bread if it browns too quickly.
26. Bread is done when removed it will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
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28. I remove the bread from the pans about 35 - 40 minutes and set the bread in the oven for about 5 minutes.
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30. To have soft crusts, cover with towel until bread has completely cooled. Cutting loaves with electric knife yields 16 slices from each loaf. Wrap in aluminum foil and in freezer paper or plastic bag to freeze. When ready to use, put into a 350 F for 30 minutes to thaw. Do not put into the refrigerator.