Honey Whole Wheat Bread

This is my favorite recipe for wheat bread.  My dad found out about a year ago that he has diabetes.  This meant a huge change in his diet.  He was a white bread eater, he does not care for wheat bread.  So I decided to take a recipe I had been using to make bread for my own family, which I used half wheat and half white flour, and change it to all wheat for him.  He loves it!
I want my wheat bread to keep all the nutrients, so here is what I do.  I buy the hard white wheat, then I grind it myself with my Le-Equip NutriMill, and keep it in a Ziploc bag in the freezer.

So here's the recipe:

3 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup shortening
3 tsp salt
4 1/2 tsp quick active dry yeast
2 1/4 cups very warm water
3 to 4 cups all purpose flour ( or this is where you can change the recipe to make it all wheat by putting 3 to 4 cups wheat flour instead, and it's still just as yummy!)
Butter or margarine, melted, if desired

In a large bowl, beat whole wheat flour, honey shortening, salt and yeast with electric mix until well mixed.  Add warm water, and beat on low speed for 1 minute, then on medium speed for 1 minute.  Stir in enough remaining flour 1 cup at a time to until dough is easy to handle.

Now you can either knead dough on a floured surface by hand until dough is smooth and springy, or I use my Kitchen Aid mixer with the dough hook to knead it until it's smooth and springy.  Grease a large bowl with shortening.  Place dough in bowl, turning dough to grease all sides.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place about an hour or until it has doubled in side.

Grease bottom and sides of two 8x 4 inch or 9 x 5 inch loaf pans with shortening.

Gently push fist into dough to deflate.  Divide the dough in half.  Flatten each half with a rolling pin into rectangles on a lightly floured, or greased surface.  Roll dough up tightly, beginning at the short side of the rectangle.  Pinch edge of roll to seal.  Pinch each end of roll to seal, then fold ends under loaf.  Place seam side down in pan.  Brush loaves lightly with butter.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place 35-50 minutes or until dough has doubled in size.

Move oven rack to lough position so the tops of pans will be in center of over.  heat oven to 375 degrees.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until loaves are deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.  Remove from pans to wire rack.  Brush loves with butter; cool and enjoy!