Maple Wheaten Bread

This is my daughter's favorite bread recipe. I have made this for the men. I used some white wheat flour along with a bit of white flour.

Ingredients:

1 package active dry yeast [note: do not use fast rise bread machine yeast]
1 cup warm water, divided (100 to 110 degrees)
3 tab pure maple syrup, warmed, divided
1 and 1/2 cups white flour
1 and 1/2 teas salt
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup warm milk
2 tab melted butter; plus extra for glazing (if desired)

Directions:

1. Place yeast, 1/4 cup of the water, and 1&1/2 tablespoons maple syrup in small bowl.
2. Let soak for 1 minute, then mix with fork to dissolve yeast.
3. Sift white flour and salt into large bowl.  Add whole wheat flour and stir to mix.
4. Make a well in the center of the flour, pour in yeast mixture, milk, butter, and the rest of the maple syrup and water.  Slowly mix ingredients together with wooden spoon.
5. Mix until dough sticks together.  Add more white flour if dough feels too soft and wet. Or add a little more water if dough will not come together.
6. Turn dough onto floured board and knead (with heal of hands) until it is smooth and elastic 5-10 min.
7. Shape into a ball.  Put in lightly buttered bowl, rolling over so ball is greased all over.
8. Cover with dish towel (I use a wet one) and let rise in a warm, draft-free place about 80 degrees until doubled in size, about 1 & 1/2 hours (depends on temp of room)
9. Gently punch dough and fold sides into center.  Knead again for a few minutes.
10. Divide dough in half and shape into loaves, tucking the ends under.
11. Put into to 2 loaf pans that have been greased (8&1/2 inch or 9 inch pans)--let rise for 30 to 45 minutes OR--sometimes much longer!!! --till about doubled
12. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (if using glass pans you may wish to turn the heat to 375)
13. Brush loaves with melted butter, then place carefully in hot oven and bake for 20-35 minutes or until bread is well risen and browned. Glass pans often cook fasterNote--I forgot to butter mine and I used glass pans at 400 degrees and they were done around 20 minutes )
14. Use mitts to remove pans and tip loaves out.
15. Place on wire rack to cool out of the pans. Slice and eat.