Whole wheat bread + coffee = <3

Ingredients

• 500g white whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour (either AP or strong flour, I just prefer strong)
• 1-1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1 tablespoon vital wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon dry whole milk
• 300g warm water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 egg, beaten + 1 tablespoon water

Method

1. In a medium bowl, add the flour. Make two separate wells on opposite sides. Put the salt in one well and the yeast in the other.
2. Add the vital wheat flour and dry milk. Mix everything.
3. Make a well in the middle and pour in the warm water and oil. Mix everything together until fully incorporated. If you see clumping, add a few more teaspoons of water until you reached your desired consistency.
4. Form the dough into a ball and on a lightly floured surface, knead for about 15 minutes or so. The end result should be smooth but slightly tacky. Do the window pane test to make sure it is fully kneaded.
5. Place the dough ball in a lightly-greased bowl and roll it around to cover the top part of the dough in oil. Cover with a towel, and let it proof until double in size – approximately 1 hour.*
6. Punch down the dough. On a floured surface, shape the dough by rolling into a rectangle (the long side should fit your loaf pan). Brush the inside with some of the egg wash. Roll down the long side and tuck the two ends under to form a log.
7. On a lightly-greased non-stick loaf pan, place the dough.
8. Let the dough proof again until the dough rises about 1 inch above the pan – approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.* In the meantime, preheat the oven to 425°F.
9. Brush the top of the dough with the egg wash.
10. Slash the top of the dough. Optional: sprinkle rolled oats on top.
11. Turn the heat down to 350°F.
12. Place the loaf pan in the oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Halfway through, once the crust is golden, make an aluminum foil tent above the bread to prevent the crust from burning. The internal temperature should be at least 190°F before officially declaring the bread “fully baked.”
13. To prevent a soggy crumb, let bread cool to room temperature before slicing (about 1-2 hours). For best results, when slicing, it is better to lay the bread on its softer side and slice, rather than slicing through the top crust.

*During the winter, I find it more difficult to let the dough simply proof in the room. So what I do is I place a cup of water in the microwave and heat on high for 3 minutes, or until boiling. After kneading the dough and placing the dough, covered, in a bowl, I put it in the microwave as well. Do not heat it – the warmth from the cup of water would be enough to create a good environment for the yeast.