Basic Homemade Bread

There is a really good French bakery here in Nova Scotia called Boulangerie La Vendeene. Hands down they make the best bread around.  But I eat their bread when I want a nice meaty loaf for soups or dipping in greek salad. Hunky bread.  When I need sliced sandwich bread, nothing beats homemade.  Good thing I like to bake because Halifax is seriously lacking in good sandwich bread.  I like to slice the loaves and freeze them so we always have fresh bread.

MOSTLY WHOLE WHEAT BREAD 3 cups warm water 2 Tbsp local honey 1 1/2 Tbsp yeast granules  1 Tbsp sea salt 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, organic sunflower oil or melted organic butter 3 cups unbleached organic white flour 6 cups organic whole wheat flour Method: Pour 1 cup of the water into a large, warmed bowl.  Stir in the honey and yeast.  Let stand 10 minutes until the yeast is completely dissolved and foamy.  Stir in the remaining water, salt, oil.  Then add the flour, a few cups at a time.   Knead the dough by hand: Scrape the dough onto a well floured surface, sprinkle it with flour and knead it. Gather the dough together in your hands and push it away from you with your palms. Fold it in half towards you, then turn and turn and repeat pushing, folding, and turning, sprinkling flour on the dough to keep it from sticking, this may take up to a cupful more. Keep kneading for several minutes, until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. After kneading, put the dough in a large oiled bowl, and flip to coat both sides with oil. Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place in a warm place (near a woodstove or in a gas oven that has a pilot light).  Let it rise for 1 to 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled. Punch the dough down to remove air bubbles, then divide into 2 parts. Shape each into a loaf and place into a greased loaf pan. Cover the loaves with the same plastic wrap you used earlier and put in a warm place again to rise the second time. The loaves should double, about 1 hour. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. When bread is golden brown on top and bottom and bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, it is done.