Whole Wheat Bread

Makes 3 loaves, takes 3 hours

Ingredients 

2 cups whole milk, heated to about 115 F

5 tsp active dry yeast (make sure it's fresh)

2 large eggs at room temperature (I place them in a bowl of warm water to warm them up quickly)

1/4 cup honey

5-6 cups whole wheat flour

2 tsp Kosher salt

6 tbsp softened butter

1. Once your milk has been heated to the correct temperature (use a thermometer to be sure its not too hot or too cool), pour it into the bowl of your electric mixer.  Add the yeast and whisk to help it dissolve, then set aside for a few minutes to allow it to bloom.
2. Once your yeast gets foamy and begins to smell yeasty, it is ready.  Add the room temperature eggs and the honey and whisk to combine.  
3. Next, put the dough hook onto your mixer and add one cup of the flour.  Turn the mixer on and add the first cup of flour to incorporate, then add the Kosher salt and the softened butter.
4. Turn the mixer on low and add the flour one cup at a time, allowing each cup to incorporate before adding the next cup.  I usually use about 51/2 cups of flour.  Once you add the fifth cup, just add a bit at a time until the dough comes away from the side of the bowl and begins to knead into a smooth dough.  The amount you end up using will depend on the climate where you live. 
5. Allow your mixer to knead the dough for 5 minutes, then remove the dough from the mixer and knead by hand for a minute or two until it forms a smooth ball.
6. Place it into an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place it somewhere warm and draft-free to rise until doubled in size, about 1.5 hours.  I leave mine on my kitchen counter with the pot lights on for about 15 minutes, as this brings some extra heat to the kitchen.  Then I shut the lights off so the dough doesn't rise too quickly.
7. To form the loaves, I use my bench scraper to divide the dough in 3.  Then I use my hands to flatten each piece into a rectangle.  Next, I roll up the rectangle and pinch the edge into the roll, then tuck in the ends and pinch them together.  I place the loaf into the loaf pan and push it down to fill the corners.
8. Once all the loaves are formed, cover them with a kitchen towel and leave them somewhere warm and draft-free to rise again to double.  This should take about 30-45 minutes.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 F.
9. Place the loaves in the oven for 30 minutes, then remove and place on a cooling rack to cool completely before slicing or freezing.  

*This recipe also makes delicious raisin bread.  Just pour boiling water over 1.5 cups of raisins and allow to soak for 15-30 minutes until they plump up.  Then drain, pat dry and sprinkle them over the dough before you let it rise for the first time!