2 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 pkg active dry yeast (1 tbsp)
1 1/4 cups warm water
2 tbsp. honey (or sugar)
2 tbsp. nonfat dry milk
2 tbsp. vegetable oil or melted butter
1 1/2 tsp. salt

Combine 1/2 cup of the flour, the yeast, 1/2 cup of warm water (about 120°F) and 1 tablespoon of the honey. Stir together until well mixed. Let mixture sit for 15 minutes until bubbly.

Add:

3/4 cup water (about 90°F)
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
2 tablespoons oil or melted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Mix well, then add:

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

Mix well, then gradually add:

1 cup all purpose flour

Mix dough until well blended, adding small amounts of extra flour until the dough begins to form a ball; dough should be slightly sticky. Be careful not to add too much flour or the dough will be too stiff and the bread will be heavy when baked.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured clean work surface. Knead until smooth and satiny, about 10 minutes.

How to Knead:

Form the dough into a round ball, then fold the dough toward you. Using the heels of your hands, push dough away with a rolling motion. Give the dough a quarter turn, then fold it over and push dough away again. Continue kneading until dough is smooth and elastic. You cannot over-knead the dough. The dough should feel light and spongy. If the dough is sticky, continue kneading and add a little more flour (the less flour added, the better, so use as little as possible). You can oil your hands to help prevent the dough from sticking while kneading; that way you will only need to dust the work surface lightly to keep it from sticking.

Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes (this rest makes it easier to work with when forming into a loaf - the dough will lose a little of the elasticity during the rest and stop "fighting" as it does when you're kneading it.

After the dough has rested, shape it into a loaf. Place dough in a pan that has been wiped with butter or oil and let rise until the size of the loaf has doubled (about 40 minutes).

Preheat oven for at least 15 minutes or until the oven temperature reaches 400°F. Bake loaf approximately 20-30 minutes or until nicely browned on top and loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Don't open the oven to check until the bread has been in for at least 15 minutes. The weight of the pan will become lighter than when it was put in the oven; this is a sign that the loaf is baked. The internal temperature of the loaf will be about 190°F when read with an instant thermometer.

Remove bread from pan onto a wire rack and allow to cool. Top of bread may be brushed with melted butter while still warm for a softer crust. To avoid crushing the bread and ruining the texture, wait at least 30 minutes before slicing.

After slicing, seal tightly in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container. Bread may be frozen for up to 3 months.

Variations: Brush the top of the bread with a wash made from beating an egg with a tablespoon of water and sprinkle with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, cracked wheat, coarsely chopped pumpkin seeds or muesli. The egg helps the topping stick and gives the bread a shiny glaze. For a sweeter bread, add 2 more tablespoons of honey, sugar or molasses and add 1/2 cup boiled raisins, Craisins or currants. The boiling water may be reserved and used as the water to make the bread.