Mixing:
- Combine all of the ingredients, and mix and knead them—by hand, mixer, or bread machine—to form a smooth, supple dough.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl or dough-rising bucket, cover the bowl or bucket, and allow the dough to rise till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 1 ½ hours.
Shaping:
- Lightly grease a standard (13” x 4” x 4”) lidded pain de mie (pullman) pan. Transfer the risen dough to a lightly greased work surface, shape it into a log, and fit it into the pan. Flatten the top as much as possible.
- Cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise until it’s about ½” below the lip of the pan, about 45 minutes.
Baking:
- Carefully slip the cover onto the pan, and let it rest an additional 15 minutes while you preheat your oven to 350°F. Bake the bread for 25 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven, carefully remove the lid, and return the bread to the oven to bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until it’s golden-brown on top and tests done; an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will register 190°F.
- Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool completely. For a soft, flavorful crust, brush the loaf with melted butter while warm.
*For the very best results, the recipe recommends organic whole white wheat flour. Barring that, choose regular white whole wheat flour. Using a traditional whole wheat flour, one milled from red wheat, won’t give you nearly the nice results that whole white wheat flour will.
Nutrition:
Calories: 160, Total Fat: 4.5 g, Saturated Fat: 2.5 g, Sodium: 250 mg, Total Carbohydrate: 27 g, Fiber: 3 g, Protein: 5 g.