100% Whole Wheat Bread

This recipe comes to you only slightly altered from the one in King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking.  I seriously love that cookbook.  This recipe has made me feel like a I've made it as a homemaker.  Not only is it homemade, but it's 100% whole wheat!  And I actually like it, which is saying something, since I normally don't care for wheat.  The orange juice counteracts the bitter wheat taste you can get sometimes.  I make this bread a lot, and I don't want to constantly have orange juice in my fridge just in case, so I make up a batch then freeze it in 1Tbsp amounts in an ice cube tray.  Then I put the orange juice ice cubes in a freezer bag and thaw two of them out when I want to make this recipe.  This loaf works best in a pan that's 8.5"x4.5".  You can make it in a 9x5, but it will make a very wide, short loaf.  All of the tips from my White Bread 101 tutorial apply to this recipe as well.  Alright, on to the recipe!

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100% Whole Wheat Bread

3 cups (12 ounces) whole wheat flour (I personally use white wheat for a more subtle"wheat" taste)
3 Tbsp sugar
Heaping 1/2 cup (1-1/4 ounces) dried potato flakes
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
1 Tbsp vital wheat gluten (optional, but I think it helps)
1-1/4 tsp salt
2-1/2 tsp instant yeast (you can use active dry yeast, but you'll have to proof it in the water first)
1 cup lukewarm water
2 Tbsp orange juice, room temperature or lukewarm
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into several pieces

1. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and stir until combined.  Add the water, orange juice, and butter, then knead it all together until you have a soft, smooth dough.  It probably won't be as elastic as white bread dough, and that's okay.  Cover it, and allow it to rise until nearly doubled in bulk 1-2 hours.  For tips on getting your dough to rise, see White Bread 101.
2. Lightly grease an 8.5x4.5 loaf pan.  Gently deflate (don't punch!) the dough and shape it into an 8-inch log.  Place the dough in the prepared pan, and let it rise until it's an inch and a half above the pan.  Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Bake uncovered for a total of 35 minutes, tenting the loaf with aluminum foil after about the first 15 minutes.  When it's golden brown, remove it from the oven.  After a minute or two, loosen the bread from the sides of the pan (if needed) and turn it out onto a cooling rack.  Brush it with melted butter if you want to keep the crust nice and soft.  Cool the bread for at least 30 minutes before slicing it.
4.  Savor the smell of freshly baked bread, and cut yourself a slice.  Mmm...