Classic 100% Whole Wheat Bread

Mixing in a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir till the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth and supple. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 60 minutes depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

Shaping: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface and shape it in an 8inch log. Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about 30 to 60 minutes, or until it’s crowned about 1inch above the edge of the pan. A finger pressed into the dough should leave a mark that rebounds slowly.

Baking: Bake the bread in a preheated 350 oven for about 40 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after 20 minutes. Test for doneness by removing it from the pan thumping in on the bottom (it should sound hollow), or measuring its interior temperature with an instant-read thermometer (it should register 190 F at the center of the loaf). Remove the bread from the oven turn it out of the pan, and cool it on a rack before slicing. Store the bread in a plastic bag at room temperature.

I double this recipe and freeze 1 loaf. The bread will go bad if not eaten within a few days as it has no preservatives.