Combine the lentils, water, rosemary and thyme in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 30 minutes, or until lentils are tender but not mushy. Drain and set aside. Pour the milk in a saucepan and bring just to the boiling point. Stir in the sugar, salt, olive oil and drained lentils. Set aside to cool slightly.

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and allow to stand for 3 minutes. Add it to the milk mixture, mix well and transfer to a large bowl. Add the wheat flour and mix well. Stir in the all-purpose flour, mixing until the dough can be formed into a ball. Put the dough ball on a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Spray the bowl with a nonstick cooking spray and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a damp towel and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch the dough down and form into a loaf shape. Place in a standard size loaf pan, which has been sprayed with a nonstick cooking spray. Cover and allow to again double in size, about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the bread in the preheated oven and bake for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue to bake, for 35 more minutes, or until the top is a golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Allow the bread to come to room temperature before slicing.

Makes 24 slices. Each slice contains approximately: 97calories, no cholesterol, 1 gr. Fat, 95 mg. Sodium 3 gm. Protein, 18 gm. Carbohydrate.

The combination of lentils and wheat flour in this dense, hearty and egg-free bread provides the legume and grain necessary for a complete vegetarian protein. For this reason, it provides all the nutrients necessary for a healthful snack all by itself. For a lighter-textured bread you can use all unbleached, all-purpose flour, and for a prettier bread you can combine the all-white flour with pink lentils. However, for fall menus I like the coarse, heavy texture of this bread just the way the recipe is written. I like it toasted and spread with honey or an all-fruit jam for breakfast and for making sandwiches of all types. My favorite is a vegetarian sandwich made with thinly sliced grilled vegetables and melted cheese. It also makes great croutons for soups and salads.

If you have any cooked left-over lentils in the refrigerator you can substitute one cup of cooked as lentils for the one-third cup of dried lentils called for and eliminate cooking them. However, if you do that, add the rosemary and thyme to the milk in step two. Store this bread, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator. Jeanne Jones