100% whole wheat bread recipe

This bread is SOOOO good! I think we'll be trying french toast with it Saturday morning. It is the first 100% whole wheat recipe I've found that is not overly coarse and dense....great for toasting, sandwiches, etc...even Elizabeth and Kate approve!

To give credit where credit is due...my hubbie found the original recipe here. (I tweaked measurements, etc. to make it more appropriate for the amount of bread we might actually consume in a week!)

To start...
2 Tablespoons yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water--typically I let my tap get quite hot and use that...I haven't had success with "warm" water
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Mix these ingredients together and let sit until double. (Usually 15-30 minutes.) This step is called a sponge and is very important to allow the yeast to get a head start.

Add...
1/3+a smidge more cup vegetable
4/10 (basically fill your measuring cup to directly in the middle of 1/3 and 1/2 cup) cup honey
2 teaspoons salt
2 Tbsp. vital wheat gluten (find this in the flour/baking section at the grocery)--it will turn out without it, but this helps add elasticity
4 cups whole wheat flour (or a mixture of whole wheat and bread flour....since we started milling our own wheat i find it works better with 1-2 cups of bread flour for a better rise...you can experiment)

Mix this in a large stand mixer with a dough hook (or you can mix it and then knead by hand) until smooth and elastic. (I used my kitchen aid and then did a bit of kneeding at the end!) Place in oiled bowl, cover and let rise again until double (I let it rise in my oven with the light on and bowl of steaming water below it!). (About 30 minutes) Punch down and shape in pans. Cover and let rise again until double (again, I do this in my oven with the light on and a steaming bowl of water). (20-30 minutes).

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (mine takes exactly 27 minutes for a perfect loaf). Oil top of bread for a nice shiney (and softer) crust.