Don't call me honey! Unless you're talking about my bread.→[More:] Why is the process of making bread so intrinsically satisfying? I've been in a bit of a state the last few days, but something about taking a bunch of ingredients and making dough and working your hands right into the warm stretchy blob just makes everything seem like it'll be okay. Better yet is that these were made with honey from my bf's father's beehives. Which is just all kinds of cool.

Honey-Whole-Wheat Bread (from the Betty Crocker cookbook)

2 packages active dry yeast
1/2c warm water

1/3c honey
1/4c shortening
1T salt
2 1/4c warm water
3c whole wheat flour

3-4c all-purpose flour

Stir the yeast into 1/2c warm water and let stand for a few minutes. I like to add a tiny drib of honey to give the yeastie beasties something to feed on.

Combine the honey, shortening, salt, warm water, whole-wheat flour, and yeast-water mixture. Beat until smooth, then add enough AP flour to make the dough easy to handle. Knead for ten minutes, then place in a greased bowl, flip so the greased side is up, cover, and let rise one hour.

Punch it down, cut it in half, and roll each half into an 18x9-inch rectangle. Roll up from the short side, pinching at each turn to keep it tightly sealed. Pinch the seam closed, pinch the ends closed, and turn the ends under. Place seam-side down in greased 9x5 loaf pans and cover and let rise another 35 - 50 minutes. Bake at 375F for 40-45 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped. You can brush the tops of the loaves with butter, but I usually don't. Eat warm with butter and honey.