L.R. Whole grain sourdough rye bread

1 cup sourdough
7 cups warm water
2 T. instant yeast
1/4 cup honey
4 tsp. salt
130 g. vital wheat gluten (about 1 cup)
1 T. carraway seeds opt.
350g freshly twice ground rye flour (about 3 or 4 cups)
1750g freshly twice ground wheat flour (about 14 c ups) I use prairie gold wheat berries.
1/3 cup oil
1 T. butter

In a large bowl, whisk together sourdough, water, yeast, honey, salt, gluten and carraway. Add rye and whisk till smooth. Add about 6 cups of the wheat flour and whisk until smooth. Add remaining flour a little at a time, stirring in with a wooden spoon. Pour oil over dough and knead in with your hands. Don't try to incorporate it all. Place lid on bowl. Let rise for 2-3 hours, punching down every 30 minutes. Be carefull not to let it rise longer than 30 minutes at a time or the structure of the bread will be compromised. When ready, divide dough into 6 equal pieces. Shape each into a loaf and place into greased 8"x4" loaf pans. Poke each loaf with a fork all over to release any trapped air. Cover with a damp towel. Let rise for 30 minutes. Place into a cold oven. Turn oven on to 400 degreese and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on a wire rack. While still warm, rub butter over top crust to soften. Makes 6 loaves, with about 16 slices per loaf.

Number of Servings: 96

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user LRUSSELLFAMILY.