Ingredients

1 cup King Arthur Traditional 100% Whole Wheat Flour 
½ cup wheat germ 
½ cup quick-cooking oats, uncooked 
1 tablespoon salt 
1 tablespoon rapid rise yeast 
2 ¼ cups very warm water (120° - 130°F)* 
1/3 cup honey 
1/3 cup canola oil 
4 - 4 ½ cups King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour 
*Gauge water temperature with thermometer.

Instructions

1. In mixing bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, wheat germ, oats, salt, and yeast. Stir in water, honey, and oil; beat 2 minutes. Gradually stir in 3 cups bread flour to make a slightly sticky dough. 
2. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead in enough remaining flour to make a smooth and elastic dough. Knead 8 to 10 minutes by hand or with dough hook. 
3. Divide dough in half. To shape: form dough to fit into 2 oiled 8 ½ x 4 ½ -inch bread pans; press dough down to fill pan. Smooth top. Cover loaves with a damp towel; let rise in a warm place until double, about 1 to 1 ½ hours. 
4. Bake in preheated 350°F oven 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and done. Tent with foil last 15 minutes to prevent overbrowning. Remove from pans and cool on wire rack. 

Makes 2 loaves, 16 slices each.

Nutrition information per serving: One slice provides approximately 108 calories; 3 g protein; 18 g carbohydrate; 1 g dietary fiber; 3 g fat (.18 g saturated); 0 mg cholesterol; 37 mcg folate; 1 mg iron and 219 mg sodium.

As a mother of three young children, I wanted to make our own bread for health and economic reasons. The problem was that many of the recipes I found really didn't replicate the taste and texture of the store-bought breads my family enjoyed.  So, I developed this recipe, keeping an eye to the taste and texture, and trying to add bits of extra nutritional value. This bread far surpassed any bread from the store, and with the time-saving methods I incorporate, it is faster to make than loading the kids in the van to head to the store!