The yudane method is usually associated with Japanese milk bread. But it works pretty well with whole wheat flour too.

You can find a detailed video about this method in the principles of baking playlist, so I will not cover it here. If you are not familiar with it, then I would highly recommend watching that video before you attempt to make the is bread.

I decided to use egg yolks in this dough to make it even lighter and to add some more nutritional value. The oil is there to enrich the bread. The sugar is optional, but I like my sandwich bread slightly sweetened.

You can use whole eggs instead of just yolks since the whites are 90% water but keep that in mind because you will need to compensate for it by adjusting the amount of water you add to the dough. I used my egg whites for an egg white omelette instead.

This loaf will fit into a 900g (2lb) loaf tin.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the yudane –

100g (3.5oz) whole wheat bread flour

150g (5.3oz) boiling water

For the main dough –

350g (12.3oz) whole wheat bread flour

5g (0.17oz) instant dry yeast or 6g (0.21oz) active dry yeast or 15g (0.52oz) fresh yeast

25g (0.9oz) sugar (optional)

25g (0.9oz) oil. I used olive oil.

2 egg yolks

8g (0.28oz) salt

150g (5.3oz) water*

*To learn more about dough temperature control click here.

1 egg for brushing

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration.

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

If you are curious about why the dough contains oil, egg, and sugar, click the links to learn more about the effects those ingredients have on bread dough.

Method

1. Make the yudane. Combine the flour and boiling water. Mix until there is no dry flour left. Leave to cool down completely. If your kitchen is quite warm you can refrigerate the yudane to help control the final dough temperature. You can also make it a day ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until you need it.
2. Make the dough. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients except the remaining flour. Mix well. Add the flour and mix to a dough.
3. Tip the dough out on the table and knead it for 6 minutes. It will be extremely sticky, so stop every now and then and scrape it together. The stickiness comes from the ingredients used. Egg yolks, sugar, and the oil all make the dough stickier. Combine those with whole wheat flour and you are going to get a stickier than normal dough. If you have a mixer – use it! *Desired dough temperature 25C (77F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust proofing time accordingly.
4. Cover and ferment for 1 hour.
5. Fold.
6. Ferment for 1 more hour.
7. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and pre-shape. You can divide it into two if you want or even leave it whole. The design is up to you.
8. Leave to rest for 15 minutes.
9. Perform the final shaping and place the dough in a bread tin.
10. Cover and final proof for 1.5 hours or until well puffed up. *During the final hour of fermentation preheat your oven to 160C (320F) fan on.
11. Brush the loaf with egg and bake it for 40 minutes.

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.