Directions
1. Wash hands with soap and warm water. Clean countertops with warm, soapy water.
2. Pour the lukewarm water into a large bowl and sprinkle the yeast over top. Let this stand 5-7 minutes until the yeast has dissolved.
3. Stir in milk, honey, and oil. Then add the whole wheat flour and salt, and stir to combine. Add the all-purpose flour. Stir to form a shaggy dough, mixing by hand if needed to incorporate all of the flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 20 minutes to give the flour time to absorb the liquid.
4. Sprinkle flour on a clean countertop and knead the dough for 10-15 minutes. If the dough is bubble-gum sticky against the sides of the bowl or the counter, add extra flour one tablespoon at a time until it is no longer sticky. The dough is ready when it is smooth, feels slightly tacky, forms ball without sagging and springs back when poked.
5. Clean out the mixing bowl and wipe the inside with a little oil. Form the dough into a ball and turn it in the bowl to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm spot until nearly doubled in size, about 1 - 1 1/2 hours.
6. Sprinkle a little flour onto the counter and turn the dough out on top. Divide the dough into two and shape each half into a loose ball. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
7. Grease two loaf pans with vegetable oil or film them with non-stick cooking spray. Shape each ball of dough into a loaf and transfer to the loaf pans, seam side down. It's important that the surface of the loaves be stretched tight; this helps them rise and makes the inside fluffier. Cover and let the loaves rise one last time until they start to dome over the edge of the pan, 30-40 minutes. **Heat the oven to 425˚F about halfway through the final rise.**
8. Slash the tops of the loaves 1/4 inch deep, lengthwise down the middle with a serrated knife and out them in the preheated oven. Turn down the heat to 375˚F and bake for 30-35 minutes. Finished loaves will be dark golden-brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Remove the loaves from the pans and let them cool completely on racks before servings.
*Loaves will keep at room temperature for several days in a paper bag. Loaves can also be wrapped in foil, placed in plastic re-sealable bags, and frozen for up to three months.
*Honey should not be fed to infants less than one year of age