Honey-Wheat Sandwich Bread

Directions

1. Combine the flours and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the milk, oil, honey, and salt and mix on low speed until the dough forms a shaggy but evenly moistened dough, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough feels satiny and elastic, about 5 minutes.
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour. Fold the dough over on itself, pressing gently to release the gas. Turn it out onto a floured work surface and cut into 2 equal pieces. Round each piece into a smooth ball, pulling the outer layer taut and pinching together the excess dough at the base of the ball. Place the dough seam sides down on a lightly floured work surface. Cover the dough and let rest until relaxed, about 20 minutes.
3. Coat two 9-inch loaf pans lightly with cooking spray. Stretch each dough ball into an 8 x 12–inch rectangle. Fold each short end of the rectangle 1 inch toward the center of the dough to keep the sides straight and the corners square. Fold a long edge into the center and use the heel of your hand to seal the edge to the dough. Fold the dough in half lengthwise and use your fingertips to seal the 2 edges together; keep the seam straight. The dough should be about 10 inches long. Roll the dough into an even cylinder 12 inches long. Push the ends of the cylinder toward the center until it is 10 inches long and place seam side down into the loaf pans. Brush with egg wash or milk.
4. Let the dough rise in a warm place, uncovered, until the pans are three-quarters full and the dough springs back slowly to the touch, 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F.
5. Bake until the loaves have a rich golden brown crust and the sides of the bread retain their structure when pressed, 40–50 minutes. Remove the bread from the pans immediately and let cool completely on wire racks before slicing and serving.