Ingredients:

  • 240 ml (1 cup) Warm Milk (or water)
  • 10 g (2 ¼ teaspoons) Instant Dry Yeast
  • 30 ml (2 tablespoons) Honey (or maple syrup)
  • 30 g (2 tablespoons) Unsalted Butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 5 g (1 teaspoon) Fine Sea Salt
  • 250 g (2 cups) Bread Flour (Strong White Flour)
  • 250 g (2 cups) Whole Wheat Flour (Wholemeal Flour)

Instructions:

  1. Activate: Combine the warm milk, honey, and yeast in a large bowl. Let stand for 5–10 minutes until foamy and active (this confirms the yeast is alive).
  2. Enrich: Stir the melted butter and salt into the yeast mixture.
  3. Combine Dry: In a separate bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour and bread flour.
  4. Mix: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, starting with the whole wheat flour. Mix by hand (or low speed in a stand mixer) until a shaggy, wet dough forms.
  5. Rest (Autolyse): Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 10 minutes. This allows the whole wheat bran to absorb moisture, making the kneading easier.
  6. Knead: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead vigorously for 8–10 minutes by hand (or 6–8 minutes on medium-low speed if using a machine), until the dough is smooth, elastic, and passes the windowpane test.
  7. First Proof: Place the kneaded dough into a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a clean damp cloth.
  8. Rise: Place the bowl in a warm, draft-free spot. Let the dough rise until it has approximately doubled in size (60–90 minutes).
  9. Deflate: Gently punch down the risen dough to release the air. Turn it out onto a clean work surface.
  10. Shape: Flatten the dough into a rectangle roughly the width of your loaf pan. Roll it up tightly, starting from the short side, sealing the seam with your fingertips.
  11. Pan: Place the shaped dough seam-side down into the greased loaf pan.
  12. Second Proof: Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap. Let the loaf rise again in a warm spot until it crowns about 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the rim of the pan (40–50 minutes).
  13. Preheat: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) with a rack in the centre, at least 15 minutes before the second proof is complete.
  14. Bake: Bake for 35–40 minutes. If the top begins to brown too quickly after 20 minutes, loosely tent it with aluminium foil.
  15. Test for Doneness: The loaf should sound hollow when tapped, and the internal temperature must register 200°F–205°F (93°C–96°C).
  16. Cool: Immediately turn the baked loaf out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing (about 1–2 hours).