There is nothing like homemade bread especially when it's heart-healthy like this brown bread. Perfect for your breakfast toast, sandwiches, or simply with a smear of butter and jam.
Autolyze - In a bowl of a stand mixer combine the whole wheat and bread flour. Add the hot milk and combine well. Leave it to soak for 30 minutes until the mixture becomes lukewarm. Pro tip - soaking the flour in the hot liquid will soften the gluten and give a softer texture to our bread.
Yeast mixture - In a bowl or measuring cup, combine warm water, honey, and yeast. Set it aside for 5 minutes - until foamyPro tip - the water must be barely warm, close to room temperature. If it's hot, it will kill the yeast and your bread won't rise)
Combine - After 30 minutes, add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and combine well on medium-high speed. Then add the salt and butter and knead for 2 minutes more.
Knead - Once all the flour and butter have been incorporated, turn the speed to medium and knead for 5 to 7 minutes. Pro tip - the dough will be soft, elastic, and slightly sticky. Do not be tempted to add more flour as it can make the loaf dense.
Rise - Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and cover with a damp kitchen cloth. Leave to rise for one hour or until doubles in volume. Pro tip- You can also let the dough rise in the fridge overnight.
Shape - Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Spread the dough into a rectangle. Fold the two sides to the center. Roll the dough from the top end to the bottom end. Pinch the seams together. Pro tip - It is important to make a nice tight package to get an airy texture to the bread.
Rise - Place the rolled dough into the greased 8 x 9 x 4 loaf pan seam side down. Let rise in a warm place for 45 to 60 minutes or until almost it doubles in volume.
Oven - Preheat the oven to 390°F / 200°C/ Gas Mark 6
Bake - Brush the top of the bread with milk. Then, bake the loaf for 35 to 45 minutes until golden brown. Pro tip - If the top of the loaf starts to get too dark tent it with a piece of aluminum foil.
Cool - When baked cool in the pan for10 minutes then invert onto wire racks to cool completely.