Rustico Honey Whole-wheat Bread

Total Time: 4 hrs 15 mins Preparation Time: 3 hrs 30 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup lukewarm water (no hotter than 115 degrees)
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1/4-ounce packet)
• 1 1/4 cups hot water
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, plus more for greasing the bowl (no substitutes)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 cups sifted unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
• oil or butter, for greasing the loaf pan

Recipe

• 1 place the lukewarm water in a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast over the surface. let it sit for 5 minutes.
• 2 meanwhile, combine the hot water, honey, shortening and salt in a large bowl, stirring until the honey and shortening have melted. let cool until lukewarm, then add the yeast mixture, 1 1/2 cups of the whole-wheat flour and 1 cup of the sifted unbleached all-purposevflour; beat until well combined.
• 3 add the remaining cup of sifted flour and enough of the remaining whole-wheat flour to make a moderately stiff dough.
• 4 generously flour a work surface; turn the dough out onto it and knead for about 10 minutes or until the dough is very smooth and elastic.
• 5 transfer the dough to a well-greased bowl, turn once and let it stand, covered, in a warm place away from drafts for 1 to 1/2 hours (depending on how warm your kitchen is) or until doubled in bulk. punch down the dough.
• 6 use a little shortening to grease a large bowl, then transfer the dough to it. cover and let stand in a warm place away from drafts for 1 1/2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in bulk.
• 7 punch down the dough and turn it out onto a newly floured surface; form into a ball. cover and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
• 8 use oil or butter to generously grease a standard-size loaf pan.
• 9 shape the dough into a loaf and place it in the prepared loaf pan. cover and let it rest for 30 to 45 minutes, until doubled in bulk.
• 10 when ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• 11 bake the loaf for 35 to 45 minutes (start checking after 35 minutes) or until golden brown; it should sound hollow when tapped.
• 12 remove the loaf from the pan and place it on a wire rack to cool almost completely before serving.