Tassajara-Style Whole Wheat Bread

Robin and Tracy have long demonstrated an extraordinary gift for knowing what Phil needed well before he sensed it. Had you asked Phil, he would have said the last thing he needed was another bread cookbook. Robin didn't ask Phil, and she got him The Tassajara Bread Book. Thank you, Robin.

What distinguishes the Tassajara style for bread baking:

• making a "sponge," which consists of the yeast, the sweetener, all of the liquids, and half the flour;
• second, allowing for four rise-cycles--the "sponge," the dough ball, the dough ball after you punch it down, and the loaves in their pans; and
• shaping the loaves using a jelly-roll technique.

The published version of this recipe, which called for using only whole wheat flour, yielded loaves that were too dense for our taste, especially for toasting. We have lightened the loaves by replacing 3 cups of the whole wheat flour with an equal quantity of bread flour.

1. Place the water in a large bowl, and sprinkle the yeast over it. After stirring in the yeast, allow it to stand for approximately 5 minutes. (If the yeast is active, the mixture will swell and bubbles will appear here and there on the surface. If the yeast is not active, discard the mixture and get some more yeast.)
   
   
2. Stir in the honey and the dry milk. Add 4 cups of the whole wheat flour, and stir vigorously with a large spoon for a couple of minutes (100 strokes, if you want to count).
   
   
3. Cover the mix (aka "the sponge") with clear plastic wrap, and let it rise for 45 minutes.
   
   
4. Fold in the salt and butter. Add the bread flour, 1 cup at a time, stirring briefly after each addition.
   
   
5. Turn the dough ball onto a clean, smooth work surface that has been dusted with the final cup of whole wheat flour. Knead the dough ball for 8-10 minutes, until the dough is as smooth as a baby's bottom.
   
   
6. Put the dough ball into a large, lightly-oiled bowl. Turn it a couple of times to coat the surface with the oil. Cover the bowl with clear plastic wrap and a large serving platter or bread board.
   
   
7. Let it rise for 50-60 minutes, until it has doubled in size. Punch it down, re-cover it, and allow it to rise another 40-50 minutes, again doubling.
   
   
8. Turn the dough ball onto the work space, shape it into 2 loaves, and place them in lightly-oiled loaf pans. Shaping the loaves begins with cutting the dough ball into 2 even pieces, shaping each piece into a ball, and allowing the balls to rest for 5 minutes. Knead each ball into a thick, flat rectangle. Roll the rectangle into a log, pinching the seams as you roll. Put the dough into its loaf pan with the seam down. Flatten the top with your finger tips. Cover each with a damp paper towel, and let them rise another 20-25 minutes.
   
   
9. Preheat the oven to 350^o. With a sharp knife, cut 3-5 half-inch deep, diagonal slashes into the top of the loaves, then brush with an egg and water mix.
   
   
10. Bake the loaves for 1 hour, until golden brown.
    
    
11. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack before serving.

2 large loaves   

Source: Edward Espe Brown, The Tassajara Bread Book