Basic Bread Recipe

Ingredients
2 cups warm water
1/4 cup sugar
1 packet Red Star Active Dry Yeast
2 cups organic white whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon salt
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading

1. In a large bowl, combine warm water, sugar, yeast, and two cups whole wheat flour.  Cover mixture with a clean towel and let stand 10 minutes until bubbly.

2. Stir in salt and vegetable oil.

3. Stir in all-purpose flour, one cup at a time. When the dough holds together and all the flour is mixed in, plop the dough onto a clean, floured surface.

4. With a little flour on your hands, knead the dough.  After 5 min., take a break and let the dough rest.

6.  Knead the dough for a few more minutes until springy and smooth.  Put dough into bowl and cover with a clean towel.  Let the dough rise in a warm place until double in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

7.Gently deflate dough and turn out onto a floured surface.  .  Divide dough in half and shape into 2 loaves.

8.Grease baking sheet and put loaves on it.  Cover the dough with a clean towel and let the dough rise for 30 min.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

9.  Remove towel and slash the tops of the loaves.  Bake loaves  for about 30 min, until the crust is golden brown.  Cool bread on a rack.

I saw this recipe in "Odyssey", March 2009