Simple Wheat Bread

Combine the dry ingredients (flours, sugar, salt, and yeast) in a large mixing bowl, stirring them together with a whisk. Make a large “well” in the center of the bowl and add the liquid ingredients (milk, water, and extra virgin olive oil). Using a hand mixer with dough hook attachments, gradually mix the wet and dry ingredients together by drawing small amounts of flour from the inside of the well, making sure to fully incorporate it before drawing in more. If you don’t have a hand mixer, use a wooden spoon to slowly turn the dry ingredients into the wet. Continue mixing until most everything is incorporated into a dough ball that is pulling away from the walls of the bowl.

Transfer the dough to a floured surface and begin hand kneading, slowly incorporating more flour until you’ve made a firm but elastic dough that is slightly tacky but not sticky. Hand kneading will take about 10-15 minutes. Transfer to the oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in the warmest room of your home for 1. 5 -2 hr, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Remove the dough from the bowl to a floured work surface. Divide the dough in half, setting one half aside. With your fingers, flatten and shape the dough into a long rectangle with its short side slightly narrower than the width of your bread pan. Beginning from the far, narrow end of the rectangle, start rolling the dough towards yourself with both hands, keeping your thumbs to the inside of the roll and using them to pull the surface tight as you go. (Maintaining high surface tension is important in getting the loaves to rise evenly and fully.) Once fully rolled, pinch together the seam and ends of the loaf and place it into a greased or buttered loaf pan, seam side down. Repeat steps to make a second loaf. Cover with plastic wrap and rise to double, 60-90 min.

Preheat the oven to 350 °F with rack in the middle. Insert bread and bake for 30 – 45 min, until internal temp is 190 °F (remove loaf from pan and insert thermometer into the underside of a loaf to check). Allow the loaves cool at least one hour before slicing.