3 1/2cupsKing Arthur Premium 100% Whole Wheat Flour
2 1/2teaspoonsinstant yeastor 1 packet active dry yeast dissolved in 2 tablespoons of the water in the recipe
1/4cupnonfat dried milk
1 1/4teaspoonssalt
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients, and stir until the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth and supple. If you don't want to do this by hand, a stand mixer works great too. This dough should be soft, yet still firm enough to knead. Add additional flour, if necessary.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and allow the dough to rise till puffy, but not necessarily doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours, depending on how warm your kitchen is.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, and shape it into an 8-inch log. Place the log in a lightly greased loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about 1 to 2 hours, or until the center has crowned about 1 inch above the rim of the pan. Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after 20 minutes to prevent over-browning. The finished loaf will register 190 degrees F. on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center.
Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool. Rub the crust with a stick of butter. Cool completely before slicing. Store the bread in a plastic bag at room temperature.
Notes
This recipe comes from the King Arthur Flour Whole Wheat Baking cookbook, and it's a great one.