Directions

• Step 1

  Combine milk and brown sugar in a small saucepan; heat over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar, until warm. (The temperature should register 95 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.)

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• Step 2

  Pour the milk mixture into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle in yeast. Let stand until the yeast has dissolved, about 5 minutes.

• Step 3

  Meanwhile, combine whole-wheat flour, 2 cups bread flour, cracked wheat, oat bran and wheat bran in another mixing bowl.

• Step 4

  Give the milk/yeast mixture a stir and add about half of the flour/bran mixture to it. Add salt and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Beat in the remaining flour/bran mixture. Gradually add enough of the remaining white flour until you can stir no more.

• Step 5

  Place the dough on a floured work surface and knead, adding only enough flour to prevent it from sticking, until the dough is smooth and somewhat elastic, 5 to 10 minutes. (Alternatively, the dough can be mixed and kneaded in a stand-up mixer fitted with a dough hook.)

• Step 6

  Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 40 minutes. Gently punch the dough down.

• Step 7

  Coat two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray. Place the dough on a floured work surface and cut it into 2 pieces. Shape into loaves and place in the prepared pans. Cover with greased wax paper or plastic wrap and let rise until loaves are 1/2 to 1 inch above the tops of the pans.

• Step 8

  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

• Step 9

  Bake the loaves until the tops are brown and the bottoms sound hollow when tapped, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the pans and place on a wire rack to cool.