Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Total Time
45 minutes
Ingredients
-
8 g dry yeast (21/3 packets, any type)
-
132.5 g warm water (100 F/38 C)
-
155 g whole-wheat flour, plus more for sifting
-
70 g warm milk (100 F/38 C)
-
70 g warm honey (80 F/27 C)
-
7 g kosher or fine sea salt
-
30 g unsalted butter, softened, plus 15 g, melted
-
and cooled, for décor
-
197.5 g bread flour
Instructions
-
- In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water for about 5 minutes. Add the 155 g whole-wheat
- flour. Let stand for 10 minutes.
- Blend the milk, honey, and salt into the yeast mixture. Add the softened butter and the bread flour and
- blend into the dough until all the flour is moistened.
- Develop the dough on the bench with medium pressure for 3 minutes, then develop the dough with low
- pressure for 3 minutes. Check for windowpane and taste the dough.
- Let the dough ferment for 1 hour at 80 F/27 C. Punch and fold the dough once after 30 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 2 pieces. Form each into a gentle round. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Form into pan loaf. Place the loaf into a lightly oiled bread pan (8½ x 4½ x 2½ inches/21.5 x 11 x 6
- cm). Lightly oil 2 pieces of plastic wrap and drape one over the loaf. Set aside to proof for 40 minutes at
- F/27 C. Remove the plastic and proof until the dough rises just above the edge of the pan, about 10 to
- minutes more at 80 F/27 C.
- Position a rack so the loaf bakes in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 F/205 C or 340 F/170 C
- convection.
- Sift whole-wheat flour over the dough. With a serrated knife, cut a ¼-inch (6-mm) slash down the center
- of the loaf. Spoon the cooled butter down the slash, dividing it between the loaves.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Carefully vent any accumulated steam from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature
- to 365 F/185 C or 325 F/165 C convection, and continue to bake until the bread registers 190 F/88 C on
- an instant-read thermometer, 24 to 29 minutes more. Only if necessary, rotate the loaf after it has
- baked 13 minutes at the reduced temperature.
- Let cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan and cool on its' side for
- hour, flipping it to the other side after 30 minutes.
