honey, you're so sweet.

i like bread. i really do. in fact, i'm going to go ahead and say that i *love* bread. If carbs didn't have to love me back on my thighs, arms, and face, i'd eat it every day with possible everything. but alas, bread is something that i have to eat in moderation...no more than a couple of slices a day. but sometimes i binge...oh, do i binge! like making bread every few days.

so when i find a cool recipe that i like, i tend to try it and see if i like what comes out. i especially like the easy recipes since i don't have a lot of time...like this one. the recipe's been around for a while but i'm pretty new to bread baking so it's exciting to find something that's relatively healthy and tasty.

i did end up making this dough twice though. the first try had lack-luster results when i baked it in a bread pan with a steam tray underneath. i really expected some hole-y bread! instead, it came out dense and deflated. urgh... i wanted to try again though, this time doing the dutch oven method with no fridge time and and it came out more holey (if not by much) and less flat. it did have a large spread while baking but i'm putting that down to the size of my pot. *sigh* try and try again...

Traditional American-Style Honey Whole Wheat Bread
(adapted from King Arthur Flour)

3 cups bread flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
2 tbsp vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 or so cups warm water
olive oil

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and yeast, and vital what gluten. In a measuring cup, combine the warm water (about 100 degrees in temp) and honey. Add wet to dry and mix to create a shaggy dough. If the dough is too dry, add additional water little by little until the dough is no longer dry but still sticky and shaggy. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover and let rise until doubled (about an hour). Prepare a sheet of parchment paper to use for the dough later on.

When doubled, knead the dough in the bowl for a couple of minutes then transfer to the parchment paper. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise again until doubled (about 30 or so minutes).

Meanwhile, ready a cast iron pot with a lid in the oven on the middle rack and preheat to 450 degrees. Once the dough is ready and the oven is hot, carefully place the dough and parchment paper in the cast iron and cover immediately with the lid. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Reduce heat to 425 degrees, carefully remove the lid, and bake an additional 20 minutes until top is golden brown. Once done, transfer the bread to a cooling rack and cool completely before serving.