This. Is. Heavenly. This is without a doubt the softest, best-tasting bread that has ever come out of my oven. And part of it is whole wheat! I was a little intimidated by the recipe, never having attempted such a thing, but it came out great. I’ve been having this with my coffee every morning, and I can’t WAIT to make french toast with it! This is adapted just a bit from the King Arthur flour recipe.

You will need for the bread:

• 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 7-9 ounces lukewarm water (use more or less depending on humidity where you are)
• 4 ounces KAF white whole wheat flour
• 8 3/4 ounces KAF all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 ounces sugar
• 3 ounces butter at room temperature
• 5/8 ounce dry milk
• 1 1/2 ounces instant mashed potato flakes

You will need for the filing:

• 1 3/4 ounces sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons AP flour
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon water

Now put it all together:

1. If you’re using anything other than instant yeast, dissolve the yeast with a pinch of sugar in 2 Tbsp. of your lukewarm water; I use instant yeast, so I skip this step
2. Mix instant yeast (or dissolved yeast) with the rest of the bread ingredients. Knead everything together until dough is smooth. I plop it all in the bread machine set to the dough cycle. Easy! If you knead with a stand mixer, knead for about seven minutes on the second speed; it’s okay if it sticks at the bottom of the bowl a bit. We don’t want dry bread!
   
3. If you’re using a bread machine, let the dough cycle run all the way through the first rise. If you’re hand- or mixer-kneading, put the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover it with a tea towel. Let the dough rise at room temperature till it’s almost doubled in bulk — about an hour, but may take longer if you hand-kneaded
4. While the dough is rising, use a fork to mix together the sugar, cinnamon and flour for the filling mix
   
5. After it’s risen till it’s nice and puffy, move the dough to a lightly greased work surface or a silicone mat and pat the dough into a 6″ x 20″ rectangle
6. Beat together the egg and water, and brush it onto the rectangle
7. Sprinkle the cinnamon/flour/sugar mix evenly over the dough
8. Starting with a short end, roll the dough into a log, and pinch to seal at the ends and along the seam
9. Put the bread, seam-down, into a greased loaf pan and cover with greased plastic wrap
10. Let it rise till it’s just above the rim of the pan while you’re preheating your oven to 350F
11. Bake the bread for 15 minutes, then tent lightly with aluminum foil
12. Bake for an additional 30 minutes or so, until inside of loaf reads 190 degrees
13. Loosen sides of pan with a knife if needed, and turn bread onto a rack. Brush the top of the loaf with butter and let that soak in while the bread cools. Then slice and enjoy!