10:00 PM – Starter Build: In a small glass jar, add your 7g of starter culture to 35g of water and whisk together cleanly. Stir in 35g of bread flour. Mix thoroughly, cover loosely, and let it sit at room temperature 74–78°F (23–26°C) overnight for 8 to 10 hours until the starter reaches its peak and at least triples in volume.

8:00 AM – The Enriched Autolyse: In your stand mixer bowl, combine all 216g of whole milk, 36g of white sugar, 60g of your active overnight starter peak, and all 360g of bread flour. If you are opting to use the 0.5g of dry yeast to minimize sour tones, sprinkle it in now. Mix everything together with a spoon just until a rough, shaggy mass forms. Cover and let rest for 1 full hour to completely hydrate the flour proteins and activate natural gluten development.

9:00 AM – Developing Gluten: Attach your dough hook. Mix the autolysed dough on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or use a KitchenAid mixer on speed 3 for 3 to 4 minutes) until well incorporated. Add the 6g of salt and continue mixing for a couple of minutes until the dough gathers tightly together.

Butter Emulsification: With the mixing machine running, gradually drop in the 54g of soft unsalted butter. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix continuously for 10 to 15 minutes until the fat is completely incorporated, the dough cleans the sides of the bowl, and it passes a clear windowpane test. (The Windowpane Check: Wet your hands and stretch a small piece of dough; it should stretch incredibly thin without ripping, signaling a soft, light final crumb structure).

Bulk Proof with Intervals: Cover the container tightly and let it proof for 3 to 4 hours at a warm 76–80°F (24–28°C). During this window, perform 2 gentle rounds of stretches and folds to build structural tension. The dough should look visibly lighter and slightly puffy.

1:00 PM – Cold Fermentation Retard: Slide the entire covered proofing container directly into the refrigerator to rise slowly for 6 to 8 hours of cold fermentation retard.

9:00 PM – Final Shaping: Remove the chilled dough from your refrigerator. Tip it onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a clean, flat rectangle, then roll it up tightly away from you into a uniform log matching the exact length of your baking loaf pan.

The Overnight Counter Rise: Grease your Pullman pan or line it with parchment paper. Transfer the shaped log into the pan, seam-side down. Cover the dough and let it proof overnight on your counter for 8 to 10 hours at a stable room temperature of 70–72°F (19–20°C) until next morning. It must at least double in volume. (Note: If you want perfectly square sandwich slices, close the Pullman sliding lid completely before bed; leave the lid off if you prefer a classic domed crown).

Next Morning – Baking: Preheat your home oven to 375°F (190°C). Slide the loaf pan onto the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the crust turns a gorgeous, uniform golden brown.

Cooling: Remove the pan from the oven, slide the loaf out carefully onto a wire cooling rack, and allow it to cool completely before slicing for sandwich assembly!