Peel and crush the garlic cloves first (if you soak them in water, they’ll peel more easily).

Pour the olive oil into a small skillet and turn the heat on low. Add the garlic and fresh rosemary leaves (if you can’t find fresh ones, use half the amount of dry ones). Sauté for five minutes and remove from heat.

Pour the hot water into a very large mixing bowl (or stand mixer with a bread hook). Add the sugar, yeast, vital wheat gluten flour, and pour the salt on top of it (that way I don’t accidentally forget the salt). There’s no need to stir anything (in fact, you shouldn’t, because you don’t want the yeast and salt interacting yet). Allow to proof (sit and watch the bubbles form to make sure that the yeast works) for 10 minutes.

We usually purchase wheat berries in bulk when we visit Montana each year. You can grind them in a stone grinder or in a high-speed blender (we used our BlendTec to grind wheat for a year while our grinder wasn’t working). Or, you can purchase whole-wheat flour online or in a grocery store. Since most people don’t use it very often, (and it can go bad quickly because it still has the germ in it) it tends to be more expensive than white flour.

After ten minutes, add the ground flax seeds and about five cups of the whole-wheat flour, pour the olive oil, garlic, and rosemary mixture on top, and mix with a heavy wooden spoon (or on low with your electric mixer). The amount of flour you use will depend on whether you grind your own or buy it from the store. Freshly ground wheat is fluffier, so it takes more. Store-bought flour has settled, so you’ll need less.

Once a stiff batter has formed, dump the dough on a floured surface and continue to add flour and knead after each addition. You’ll want to knead the dough for 8-10 minutes (consider it an aerobic workout) to fully develop the gluten (which helps make it light and fluffy). If you’re using an electric mixer, knead for 8-10 minutes, adding flour until the dough feels tacky, but not sticky (the bowl will look almost clean). Return the dough to the bowl.

Cover with a clean towel and allow it to rise until it doubles in size (about 40 minutes).

Punch down the dough and place it on a flat, lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 12 equal sections. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to rectangle about 1/2 inch thick (about 4 inches wide and 7 inches long).  

Roll the rectangle lengthwise and press the rolled dough into the flat part as you roll it. Tuck the ends in, and lay the loaf on a lightly-greased cookie sheet. Repeat with the rest of the loaves and cover with a tea towel.

Preheat the oven to 350˚. I usually set the pans on the stove top so they have a nice, warm place to rise.

When the loaves have doubled in size, put them in the oven along with an oven-safe dish filled with water (to make the loaves crusty) and bake for 30 minutes or until the buns are golden brown.

Remove and enjoy!