Whole-Wheat French Bread - makes 4 loaves
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast, 1/2 envelope
vegetable oil
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp salt
2 cups very warm water (110 F to 115 F)
4 cups whole-wheat flour
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
Topping
1 tsp sesame seeds
Grease two large baking sheets and one large bowl with vegetable oil spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together yeast, honey, salt and water. In another bowl, combine whole-wheat and all-purpose flours; mix well.
Add 2 cups flour to the yeast mixture and stir well. Stir in 3 more cups of flour. Turn the dough onto a floured board.
Knead in as much of the remaining 2 cups of flour as necessary to make a soft, but not sticky, dough. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
Shape into a ball, and place in the greased bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and set in a warm, draft-free place to rise, 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in bulk.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, punch down and knead out large air bubbles. Divide dough into four equal pieces. Shape each piece into a skinny loaf, about 12 inches long. Arrange on the greased baking sheets and cover with a clean towel.
Allow to rise again in a warm, draft-free place for 45 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Brush each loaf with egg white and bake 40-50 minutes, or until loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.
During the last 5 minutes, loaves can be reglazed with egg white and sprinkled with sesame seeds.
For a crisp, flaky crust, put a pan of boiling water on the lowest oven shelf during baking.