Step 1

Around 8:30pm: In the bowl of a stand mixer, add starter, honey, milk, and water. Whisk with fork to combine. Then add whole wheat flour, bread flour, and ap flour. Attach dough hook and mix on speed 3 of a Kitchenaid until no dry bits appear, about 30 seconds. Let dough rest for 45 minutes, with cloth covering the mixer.

Step 2

Add salt and turn mixer on low, speed 2 of Kitchenaid. Add a chunk of butter and once you can no longer see it, add the next, until all butter is in dough. Then turn to speed 4 on Kitchenaid mixer (medium) and mix for 7 minutes. Remove bowl from the mixer, cover with a plastic bag, and let rise overnight in a cool spot, between 65-68 degrees F.

Step 3

Around 7:30am, your dough should have increased in size by about 50%. It will have rounded edges and have puffed up, but still look a bit dense. It will not have bubbles or big jiggly like regular sourdough. Dust your countertop with flour and place dough onto it, and let rest for 10 minutes.

Step 4

Gently press it into a square-ish shape, popping any bubbles you may see coming through surface. Fold one of the sides inwards about 1/3 of total length of dough. Then begin rolling that side up, until the loaf resembles a log. Use your hands to tuck ends of log in, and gently pull the log towards you to create a bit of tension and seal the seam.

Step 5

Use a bench scraper to pick the dough up and place seam-side down in a greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Allow the dough to rest in a warm spot, covered with a plastic bag (that does not touch the top of pan/dough) until the dough has risen to the rim or just above the pan, about 3 to 4 hours. When finished proofing, brush dough with water and sprinkle with oats, if desired.

Step 6

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, with a pan of water that has 2 cups of water in it, placing pan on bottom rack of oven (this creates a steamy environment that the bread loves). Bake bread for 15 minutes, then remove the pan of water. Continue baking for another 15-20 minutes, until bread is golden brown on top. To check for doneness, insert thermometer into center of bread, which should read at least 205 degrees F when complete. While warm, brush top of loaf with a tablespoon or two of butter to keep it soft.

Step 7

Let cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then using oven mitts gently tip the bread out. Let finish cooling until completely cool, at least 1 1/2 hours before slicing. Slicing too early while it is warm will result in gummy bread.