Dave’s Secret Wheat Bread

• Note from the author: Making enriched bread by hand is a very arduous task. It's not impossible, but it's not easy. For this reason, I suggest using a stand mixer or a food processor for this recipe.

Autolyze

• Blend well the flour and powdered milk (optional: add apple cider vinegar powder)
  103 g unbleached bread flour, 90 g organic white whole wheat flour, 188 g unbleached all purpose flour, 30 g powdered whole milk, 2 g powdered apple cider vinegar
• Slowly add warm water (110-120F) while stirring (I use a stand mixer and a dough hook, but you can do it by hand or even use a food processor with a dough blade.)
  240 g water
• Once the dough becomes relatively smooth, cover it tightly or transfer it to an airtight container. It will be left to rest for 45 minutes. This is called autolyze, and it greatly improves the texture of your bread by hydrating the flour fully, and it also makes it more extensible and easier to form into a loaf later.

Kneading

• Uncover and return the dough to the mixer bowl if you removed it for autolyze.
• Knead in remaining dry ingredients in this order: yeast, salt, sugar
  7 g instant yeast, 6 g kosher salt, 25 g organic cane sugar
• Make sure your butter is softened but not fully melted. Knead it in one tablespoon at a time making sure each tablespoon is full absorbed into the dough before moving on to the next pat of butter. This takes some time, so you have to take your time. If you rush this process, your dough will be lumpy and have hard spots in it. You got this far, so don't rush and wreck it! You may or may not reach window pane status, but your dough should not be wet or sticky.
  56 g unsalted butter

Proofing and Baking

• Place the dough in an airtight container with room for the dough to double in volume. Plastic wrap over a bowl or a shower cap will work too.
• Depending on the ambient temperature, the dough should double in volume in about 30 minutes . (colder than 70 °F will be slower. Above 78 °F will be faster. Do not exceed 119 °F or you will kill your yeast.
• Once the dough has doubled in volume, shape it into a loaf and expel the gas without further kneading the dough, placing it seam side down in a greased or silicone coated loaf pan. (My favorite loaf pan is linked in the equipment section above.) Cover with a damp tea towel or a shower cap. Do not wrap tightly with plastic wrap.
• Preheat the oven to 350 °F and wait for the loaf to rise about 1 inch above the top edge of the loaf pan.
• Brush the tops with egg wash or whatever you like before placing in the oven. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 190 °F
  1 egg
• Allow it to cool completely before slicing the bread. Enjoy!