** READ THE ENTIRE BLOG POST BEFORE MAKING THIS BREAD RECIPE.

• Activate the yeast. Using a large standing mixer, combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water. Take a spatula, and stir it around a couple of times. Then let it sit for about 15 minutes so that the yeast activates. You should see a bubbly mixture when it’s ready. See below.

  1 ½ Tablespoon yeast, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 ¾ cup warm water (413 grams)
• Add other liquid ingredients. Add honey and oil and stir again to mix well.

  1/4 cup honey (85 grams), 1/4 cup canola oil (55 grams)
• Add dry ingredients. Place the dough hook attachment on the mixer, and start adding dry ingredients. Add the flax seed, whole wheat flour, two cups of all-purpose flour, and kosher salt. Turn on mixer and let the flour absorb.

  2 Tablespoons flaxseed meal, 2 cups whole wheat flour (260 grams), 3 cups all-purpose flour (360 grams), 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• Add additional all-purpose flour to desired consistency. Continue adding all-purpose flour to the mixer to get your desired consistency. Let the mixer run, and occasionally scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Gradually add more flour until you get a nice dough consistency. The soft dough should be slightly sticky, but easy to handle.
• Let the dough rise. Grease a large bowl with canola or olive oil. Remove the bread dough from the mixer, and form it into a ball. Then place it in the greased bowl, and cover it with a clean dishtowel.

  Place the bowl in a warm place in your kitchen (a draft-free place is best) and let the dough rest until approximately doubled in size. The rise time may be different each time and will vary depending on where you live.
• Form loaves of bread. Once the bread rises, it’s time to form the dough into loaves. Prepare bread pans with baking spray. (See below for my favorite pans.) Add a little oil to a pastry mat or a large flat surface (a cutting board works too), and form sections of dough into oblong shapes for bread. Place shapes into the pans with the seam side down.
• Let rise again. Cover dough with clean dish towels, and let it rise again until almost doubled in size or until the dough pops above the rim of the pan.
• Bake. Bake bread in a preheated 350-degree oven, until done, approximately 25-30 minutes. The bottoms should be slightly browned and the tops a nice golden brown. Remove bread to a cooling rack.
• Top with butter. Using a pastry brush, brush softened butter on top of the loaves to get a nice shine.

  few pats of butter
• Cool. Let the bread cool completely before slicing.