Basic Whole Wheat Bread

2 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup 110* water
6 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cup tepid water
2-4 T honey
2-3 T butter

Dissolve yeast in the 1/2 cup water and the honey in the other measure of water. Pour them into the warmed kitchen aid bowl. Add the flour and salt. Add flour or water if more are required.
If you want really great bread-best flavor, best rise ,best keeping quality-knead the dough for about 20 minutes without adding more flour. The dough should remain soft and should become elastic and smooth. Work in the butter after the gluten has really begun to develop- about halfway through kneading.
Toward the end of the kneading, it will become lustrous, utterly supple and elastic, It should actually be white, with brown bran flecks clearly visible against the pale gluten.
Form the dough into a smooth round ball and put it into a big lean bowl to rise. (do not oil the bowl). Rise in a warm draft-free place. At 80* this will take 1-2 hours at 70* about
1 1/2-2 1/2 hours.
For best results, do not wait until it sighs deeply when ti is poked. Gently press out all the accumulated gas, make the dough into a smooth round again, put it back in the bowl. Let is rise as before. The second rise will take about half as long as the first, at the same temperature.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Keeping the smooth top surface(gluten film)carefully unbroken, deflate the dough by pressing it with wet or floury hands from one side to the other. Cut it in half (if not halving the recipe) and form each part gently into a round ball. Let the dough balls rest, covered with the inverted rising bowl, until they soften, usually 10 min or more.
Shape into loaves and let rise once more. They should take 30-45 minutes for their final proof.
There are two baking options. The first provides at slightly thicker darker crust, the second is thinner and more soft.
First preheat oven to 425*. After baked for 10 minutes turn the temperature down to 325*. Bake for about 45 minutes to an hour. Or until the bread tests done. If they slip out of the pans easily and if you thump their bottoms with your fingertips they should sound hollow.
I like to brush the top crust of the hot bread with butter. Yum, Yum.