Dee's Health Bread

Recipe View In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in ½ cup warm water. Let stand for 5-10 minutes until foamy, indicating the yeast is active.

Recipe View In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 3 ½ cups warm water, honey, molasses, oil, eggs, and lemon juice until well combined. (2 minutes)

Recipe View Add the yeast mixture to the wet ingredients and stir gently. (1 minute)

Recipe View Gradually add 5 cups of the whole wheat flour, beating well after each addition to avoid lumps. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Stir in the flax seeds, cracked wheat, and sunflower seeds until evenly distributed. (2 minutes)

Recipe View Let the mixture stand for 20 minutes. This allows the whole wheat flour to absorb the moisture, resulting in a lighter texture.

Recipe View Stir in the salt and gradually add the remaining whole wheat flour and bread flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. You may not need all the flour. (5-10 minutes)

Recipe View Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. The dough should be slightly tacky but not sticky.

Recipe View Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place (or in the oven with the light on) until doubled in size, about 1-1.5 hours.

Recipe View Punch down the dough to release the air. (1 minute)

Recipe View Divide the dough into 6 equal portions and shape into round balls. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes to relax the gluten.

Recipe View Shape the dough into loaves and place in greased loaf pans. (10 minutes)

Recipe View Cover and let rise in a warm place (or in the oven with the light on) until doubled in size, about 45-60 minutes.

Recipe View Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 25-35 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. (25-35 minutes)

Recipe View Let the loaves cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.