Sandwich Bread (#5)

Source: unclear, cobbled together, partly from some Japanese bakers
I wanted to make sandwich bread for the boys each week instead of buying commercially made bread.
I went through 6 versions of this, but they loved #5 best.
It needed to be whole wheat, but still soft, pliable & not fall apart after banging around in a lunch box all morning.
At the bottom, I'm adding in measurements to fit in a lidded Pullman Loaf pan.
The Pullman Loaf makes the crust very thin and keeps it very consistent.
(Got it for Christams 2021!)
The initial version (Loaf Pan) works in your average loaf pan

 

Time: 4 hours

VERSION 01 LOAF PAN

Ingredients: (2 parts "starter" & dough)
Note: The starter isn't about slowly build flavor with yeast.
It is instead about gelatinizing the flour, so it keeps the bread very soft.

Milk paste or Tangzhong starter:
45g milk or rough 1/4C.
45g water or rough 1/4C. 
15g AP flour 2 TBSP

Dough:
200g whole wheat flour
175g bread flour
100g warm water
50 warm milk
30g sugar
7g salt
5g yeast
1 egg (equals about 38g water if adjusting)
50g butter (soft)

Directions:
1. Bring the 45g milk and 45g water to a simmer, whisk in 15g AP flour
2. Cook this paste stirring constantly for 30 seconds until no longer lumpy and  it has become thickened, set aside to cool 10 minutes
3. In stand mixer bowl combine milk, yeast, sugar, egg, flour, tangzhong starter, and mix on medium low speed until combined
4. Slowly add in softened butter 1 small piece at a time until creamed into dough
5. Mix on high speed for additional 3 minutes (until dough slaps the side of the bowl).
6. Give a few strength building folds with a wet hand (so it doesn't stick).

Plus, it will separate the sticky dough from the bottom of the bowl too.

Let dough rise in the mixing bowl on counter for 90-ish minutes covered. 

While waiting... prep loaf pan with butter and have a moment for yourself.

6. Plop out of bowl, De-Gas, shape into a rectangle the width of baking pan.
Then roll into loaf shape with seam side down.
7. Cover and let rise for another 90 more minutes or roughly 2 to 2.5 times larger

Bake 37min at 350º
- at 25 min or so, cover with foil

After oven:
- take it out of pan, after a couple of minutes

- to keep it softer - rub it with butter or brush it with melted butter all over
- let cool completely (1 hour)

VERSION 02 PULLMAN LOAF PAN
(same recipe, but 20% BIGGER to tightly fit in Pullman pan)

Milk paste or Tangzhong starter:

54g milk 

54g water 

18g AP flour

Dough:

240g whole wheat flour

210g bread flour

120g warm water

60g warm milk

36g sugar

8g salt

6g yeast

1 BIG egg (equals about 38g water if adjusting)

60g butter (soft)

That way it would really be square.

Second rise in Pullman pan is done when it's 3/4" from the top

Bake 30 minutes at 350º

Then remove lid and put back in oven

Bake an add'l 10 minutes with the lid off

(or until golden brown or internal temp is 190º or higher)

After oven:
- take it out of pan

- to keep it softer - brush it with melted butter all over
- let cool completely (1 hour)