Fresh Milk 100% WW

Thanks Michael and Zach,

It was really fun to see these loaves popping up so high in the oven. Since I always bake 100% whole wheat and I'm such a novice baker I don't usually have the huge rise experience.

Zach, yes, this bread calls for intensive kneading. I altered the recipe to add an autolyse to save myself some labor, but I still kneaded it by hand for quite a while. Some of that was extra time kneading in more water because I wasn't happy with the initial hydration. The recipe calls for holding back some of the water and adding it in while kneading if it seems too dry. Next time I will add it all at the start because my home-milled hard red wheat is pretty thirsty. 

Here is the recipe with my alterations:

Makes 2 loaves, uses two 4.5" x 8.5" loaf pans. 

• 475 ml (two cups) fresh, whole milk 1/4 cup separated after scalding for the levain
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 cup filtered water
• 900 grams freshly-milled hard red whole wheat, 80 grams separated for the levain
• 7 grams active dry yeast
• 14 grams salt
• 2 tablespoons cool butter

Method

Autolyse

1. Scald the milk. Divide and set aside 1/4 cup scalded milk.
2. Mix the remaining milk and the water. Add the sugar. Combine this with 820 grams of the flour, reserving 80 grams. Cover and autolyse for at least an hour at room temperature or refrigerate for up to 12 hours. 

Build the Levain

Combine the yeast with the 1/4 cup of scalded milk and allow to sit for a few minutes. Mix in the 80 grams of flour. (No need to wait for this little leavening dough to rise, it isn't a pre-ferment.) 

Build the Dough

1. Spread the autolysed flour/milk/water mix on your counter. Spread the levain out on the autolyse. Fold the dough over and sprinkle the salt on. Fold the dough over again.
2. Knead until the dough is homogeneous and shows windowpane. It will take about 5 minutes. 
3. Knead in the butter a bit at a time until the dough is again homogeneous. The dough at this stage can be a bit sticky/fuzzy, rather than silky but it should be a coherent mass, not delaminating/shredding/shedding bits onto the bench. 

Bulk Proof

1. Place dough, smooth side up, into a lightly-oiled bowl. Cover, put in a warm location, and allow dough to fully proof. (The dough is at least doubled in size and sighs and deflates a bit when you poke it.)
2. Turn dough out, smooth side down, onto a lightly-floured workbench, and press flat. Fold sides in, overlapping, dusting off any excess flour, to form a rough round. 
3. Place dough ball, smooth side up, back into the bowl, and proof again. It will take about half as long as before, or even less. 

Shape and Bake

1. Turn dough out onto a lightly-floured workbench, smooth side down. Press flat and divide into two. Fold sides in, overlapping, dusting off any excess flour, to form two rough rounds. Turn smooth side up. Cover and bench rest for 10 to 15 minutes until very relaxed.
2. Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Turn each round smooth side down, bring sides to the center, and roll tightly to shape into loaves. Place loaves into buttered, floured loaf pans for a final proof of 1/2 hour to 45 minutes. The dough should arch up well past the sides of the pan. 
3. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, then turn down to 325 and bake an added 40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 210 Fahrenheit. Cool in pan for 10 minutes if needed to loosen before turning out onto rack to cool completely.