makes 1 loaf
I think of my Pullman Loaf as what white bread could be if it had the maximum amount of flavor it could aspire to. Much of that comes from the fact that the dough is highly enriched with milk and eggs, making for very full flavor and velvety soft crumb. Underneath the soft texture and light sweetness, you will detect a pleasant hint of sharpness that comes from the fermented milk. That’s a good thing. It gives the taste some structure and character instead of being the mushy experience typical of so many white breads. The element that truly elevates this white bread is the starter. In my bakery, we use leftover dough from the previous day’s croissants (in French baking parlance, old dough used in this way is known as pâte fermentée). However, if you haven’t made any croissants lately, you can easily mix up the starter in this recipe.
Note: I don’t take the temperature of the milk in this recipe. I measure and cover it and let it sit in the kitchen for about an hour before I begin to scale the ingredients for the dough.