Chewy, Yummy, Healthy Wheat Bread!

I posted this recipe back a few months ago and wanted to share pics and my experience making it! My parents have made it for a while now and ever since they got the recipe, have never gone back to buying Great Harvest bread. Granted, they are at a stage in life where they have the time for it... but it's that yummy!It only requires 6 basic ingredients: Brown sugar (or honey), salt, water, yeast, wheat, gluten. NO OILS OR FATS!Me and the girls made it together- the loved the whole process which started with grinding the flour. This Blendtec Kitchen Mill is great... They loved grinding the wheat so much they did the entire can!The recipe is super simple- nothing complex about it. I will post it again at the bottom of this post... Add all the ingredients together, let raise, knead, and form into loaves. (Mia got wheat flour all over her shirt and decided to be the Naked (actually Topless) Chef!)The girls were so pleased with their little loaves! Even though they make a bigger mess when baking and making with me, I love doing it with them. It's a great time to talk and be together and it's such a self confidence builder- they are so proud of what they make and realize they know how to do something like bake their own loaf of bread!

Phew, she got dressed while the bread was baking- ha ha! I think they ate their whole loaf right out of the oven! Can you see the light chewy texture?!? Ok maybe not...
Top it with homemade jam and I'm back to reminiscing about coming home from school to the house smelling so warm and amazingly yummy... we loved an after school snack of my mom's homemade bread fresh out of the oven topped with her strawberry homemade jam. Yes I was a spoiled child! (Though usually the bread was white bread back then...)
Bah- don't forget there will be a mess to clean up! But it's worth it if you have the time... In fact I think I will go make some right now- yum!

100% WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

(You may want to half this recipe... It makes 4-5 big loaves! This recipe can be made in a bread mixer, but my parents just make it by hand, they like it better that way. Note: be sure to use high quality, high protein wheat flour! Entire process takes about 2 hours, with 90% of the work in the first ½ hour.)

6 c 110 degree water (just above body temperature)
6 c freshly ground wheat flour

1 c brown sugar
1 heaping T salt

2 ½ heaping T of yeast
Additional wheat flour, about 6 cups

2 heaping T gluten flour

Add water, sugar, yeast, gluten flour, and first 6 c flour to large mixing bowl. Beat to the consistency of thick pancake batter. Stop mixing and let rise to about twice the original volume. This takes about 15 minutes. Start mixing again and slowly add salt and additional flour, until bread can be kneaded. Knead 10 minutes while adding additional flour. Shape into loaves and place in lightly oiled (or sprayed) bread pans. Let rise in room temperature oven for approximately 15-20 min until loaves are partially risen (be careful not to over-rise the loaves). Set timer for 40 minutes and temperature for 325 degrees (leave bread in oven to finish rising and baking). Time will vary depending on type of oven and type of pans used. When baking is complete, remove from oven, remove from pans and immediately replace on cooling rack for 20-40 minutes. This is important or bread will be moist or too dry. Have family eat one loaf while still warm, and bag the others for later, or give away! Clean up mess, so wife/hubby will let you do the whole thing over again next week! It freezes great.