Whole Wheat Bread

This is the bread we eat day in and day out around here. After several years of making it I have the recipe memorized and it only takes a few minutes for me to throw the ingredients in the bread maker, and later to shape the dough into a loaf. It's one of those little life pleasures that is worth the effort to me - for now at least!

Whole Wheat Bread

1 1/4 cup hot-ish water (not hot enough to kill the yeast--use your wrist to gage heat)
1/2 T yeast
2 1/3 cups white whole wheat flour
1 cup self-rising bread flour
1/6 cup oil
1/6 cup honey
1/2 T salt
1/2 T gluten (optional)

Measure ingredients into bread maker in the following order:
water
yeast
1 1/3 cup wheat flour
oil and honey
1 cup wheat flour
salt
1 cup self-rising flour
gluten (if using)

Mix on "dough" setting. After cycle is complete, shape dough into a loaf, place in greased bread pan, and let rise until doubled in size. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Brush top of finished loaf with butter. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from pan.

*Notes: For the oil and honey, I use a 1/3 cup measure and fill it half full with oil, then to the top with honey before dumping it all in. The honey slides right out that way and you don't have to scrape it.