Minstrel’s Log

Biga:

•  2 cups (310 g) whole wheat flour
• 1 cup (250 ml) warm water (100-110 degrees F)
• 1/2 teaspoon instant or rapid rise yeast

Soaker:

• 4 cups (620 g) whole wheat flour
• 2 cups (500 ml) milk (2% or 3.25%)

Dough:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp instant or rapid rise yeast
• 8 tbsp butter, melted
• 300 g raisins
• 2 eggs
• WW Flour for work surface
• cinnamon

Biga Prep:
Combine flour, water, yeast in large bowl, and stir until uniform mass forms and no dry flour remain (about 1 minute). Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 18-24 hours.

Soaker Prep:
Combine flour and milk together in large bowl and stir until all flour is absorbed and a thick shaggy mass forms (about 1-2 minutes). Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit in the refridgerator for 18-24 hours.

For the Dough:
Break the soaker into  1-inch pieces and combine in very large bowl with biga, sugar, yeast, butter, raisins, and eggs. Mix vigorously with a wooden spoon (use a stand mixer if you have one: 2 minutes low speed, then 8-10 on medium). Aim for the dough to be “smooth and elastic”. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature 45 minutes.
Using a spoon, gently fold the dough in half 8 times: fold, turn 90 degrees, fold, etc. Cover and allow to rise an additional 45 minutes.
Divide in two, and for each:
Form into a 7-by-whatever inch rectangle, pressing out the air. Cover with Cinnamon to taste. Roll it along the bread-pan-fitting length; emphasize the stretching of the dough around itself.
Transfer to your greased bread pan.Allow to rise 60-90 minutes, until the bread has risen ~1 inch above the edges of the pans.
Bake at 375 for 40-50 minutes, rotating halfway through.
If you want a better crust, put boiling water in a pan one rack below the baking bread just before you put it in (This helps the crust not dry out too quickly during baking)

Recipe is based on one found in (the very awesome) Cook’s Illustrated magazine. Their recipe is for ~60% WW bread — theirs is almost certainly “better”, as I simplified some steps, skipped others added raisins, etc, etc.