Author: story of a kitchen (from america's test kitchen website and show)
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: a family
Corrections to flour weights per the comments below.
Ingredients
BIGA:
2 cups (8½ ounces) bread flour
1 cup (8 ounces) warm water (about 110 degrees F)
½ teaspoon instant yeast
SOAKER:
3 cups (12 ounces) whole-wheat flour, plus some extra for kneading
½ cup wheat germ
2 cups (16 ounces) whole milk
DOUGH:
¼ cup honey
4 teaspoons table salt
2 tablespoons instant yeast
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
bread flour for work surface
Instructions
Special equipment: One strong stand mixer and three 8½ by 4½ inch loaf pans
FOR THE BIGA (i.e., the starter): Combine the bread flour, water, and yeast in a large bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon until a uniform mass forms and no dry flour remains, about 1 minute. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow to stand at room temperature (about 70 degrees F) for 8-24 hours.
FOR THE SOAKER: This step softens the whole-wheat flour. Combine whole-wheat flour, wheat germ, and milk in a large bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy mass forms, about 1 minute. Turn this mass out onto a light floured work surface and knead until smooth, 2-3 minutes. Return to bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 8-24 hours.
FOR THE DOUGH: Gear up your stand mixer for some heavy duty kneading. This will make your motor work! Tear soaker apart into 1-inch pieces and place in stand mixer's bowl, fitted with a dough hook. Add biga, honey, salt, yeast, butter, and oil. Mix on low speed until a smooth, uniform mass forms, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface and knead 1 minute. Shape dough into ball and place in lightly greased bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature for 45 minutes.
FOLDING: Gently deflate. Hold one edge of the dough with fingertips, and fold partially risen dough over itself by gently lifting and folding edge of dough to middle. Turn bowl 90 degrees, then fold again. Turn bowl 90 degrees 6 more times (for 8 folds total). Cover and allow to rise at room temperature for about 45 minutes (it should be about doubled in volume).
Adjust oven racks to middle and lowest levels. Gently oil two 8½ by 4½ inch loaf pans. Transfer dough to well-floured surface and divide into two equal pieces. Pat each into an 8 by 17-inch rectangle. Working with one rectangle at a time, start rolling a short edge, roll dough into a firm cylinder, keeping roll taut and tucking it as you roll. Turn loaf seam side up and pinch it closed. Place the seam down into prepared loaf pan, pressing gently into corners. Repeat with second roll of dough. Loosely cover each loaf pan with plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature until almost doubled, about 60-90 minutes. As dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. The tops of the loaves should be about 1 inch over the lip of each pan when fully risen.
Place empty loaf pan on bottom of oven rack and fill with 2 cups of boiling water. Using a single-edge razor blade, make one ¼-inch slash lengthwise down the center of each loaf. Set loaves into oven. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F. Bake until crust is dark brown, about 40-50 minutes, rotating the loaves halfway through the baking time. Internal temperature will be 200 degrees F (I did not check this temperature -- I just eyeballed the crust color.)
Transfer pans to rack to cool for 5 minutes, then remove loaves from pans to rack to continue to cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. I couldn't help but sneak a few bites of warm bread with salted butter -- excellent.
The leftover bread is wonderful toasted. To store, wrap in two layers of plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can freeze bread for up to a month, but also wrap it in aluminum foil.
Recipe by story of a kitchen at https://www.storyofakitchen.com/bread-recipes/whole-wheat-sandwich-bread-recipe/