Honey Whole Wheat Bread

 

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• 4 ½ cups whole wheat flour (576 grams)
• ▢1 ½ cups warm water (110-115 degrees F)
• ▢⅓ cup olive oil
• ▢⅓ cup honey
• ▢¼ cup vital wheat gluten optional
• ▢2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and mix in the honey. Let that sit for 5 minutes, or until the mixture gets creamy and a bit bubbly. 
• 2. In a large mixing bowl or bowl fitted for a stand mixer, mix together salt, vital wheat gluten, and 3 cups of flour.
• 3. Add the oil to the water mixture. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the water mixture. 
• 4. Mix by hand with a wooden spoon or on low speed using the stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, until the flour is completely moistened.
• 5. Stir in an additional ¾ cup of flour into the dough mixture. If the dough is still sticky add up to another ¾ cup of flour, adding only ¼ cup at a time, until the dough is not sticky and easily pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
• 6. Turn the stand mixer to medium-low and knead the dough for 5-10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and shiny. Alternatively, to knead the dough by hand, turn the dough out onto floured work surface. Fold the dough over itself and repeat, kneading for 10-15 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• 7. Place the kneaded dough into a large mixing bowl that has been lightly greased with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size. This should take about 1 hour, depending on ambient temperature.
• 8. Once the dough has doubled, punch dough down and shape in one 2-pound loaf or into two 1-pound loaves. Place the loaf or loaves into a greased loaf pan. Use a 9x5" pan for a 2-pound loaf, and two 8x4" loaf pans for two 1-pound loaves. Place some rocks in the bottom of the Dutch oven to keep the pan out of direct contact with the oven bottom.
• 9. Bake the bread at 350 degrees F (14 coals on top, 10 on bottom for a 12 in oven) for 35-40 minutes for a 2-pound loaf and 25-30 minutes for a 1-pound loaf, or until your bread reaches an internal temperature of 190 degrees. This is what the recipe I was using said, but for the 1-pound loaf I used, starting from a cold oven it took about 45 minutes. With the coals on top, put them in a ring around the outside of the lid, not putting many or any in the middle, to help keep from burning the top of the loaf.
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