Take 20 grams (1 T.) sourdough starter from your most recent active sourdough starter (ideally) or from discard that is no more than a few days old. Add 60 grams (1/4 c.) water and 60 grams (7 T.) of white flour (all-purpose or bread flour) to the 20 grams of healthy sourdough starter. Mix until there's no dry flour left. Cover and let this starter sit at room temperature for 6 to 12 hours to ferment. It will double in volume and look bubbly.

Once the starter is active, the first step to prepare the dough is scalding the milk. Add more whole milk than the recipe calls for to allow for evaporation, I recommend adding 90 grams of milk to the pot. Heat the milk over medium to medium-high heat in a medium saucepan until it is steaming and proteins begin to stick to the bottom of the pot. Temperature will be 130 to 140 degrees F. Don't let it foam. Transfer 70g (1/4 c.) of your scalded milk to the large mixing bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer) then add 300 grams (1 cup and 3 T. 2 t.) of the cool or room temperature water. The water temperature will cool your scalded milk down so you can add the flour.

Add the 250g (1 2/3 cup) white bread flour and 250g (1 2/3 cup) whole wheat flour to the bowl of water and scalded milk. Mix until there's no more dry flour. If using a stand mixer, use the dough hook attachment. Check the bottom of the bowl to make sure all the flour is mixed in. Let this sit for 20-30 minutes. You can leave the dough uncovered or place a towel over it if you have a dryer climate.

While the dough is doing its autolyse, boil water to create the honey oat soaker. In a small bowl, combine the quick oats, honey, and hot water until all the oats are soaked. Let this sit for the oats to completely soak up the moisture until it is added later.

After the autolyse, add the 100g active starter and mix in. You may have to do this by hand.

Add the salt with the reserved 5 grams (1 t.) of water dropped on top of the salt to help it dissolve.

Massage these ingredients into the dough until full incorporated.

Wait 30 minutes, then add the honey oat soaker. Mix and fold the dough until all ingredients are completely incorporated. Move to a dough bin or a clean bowl covered with plastic wrap.

Bulk Ferment: The dough ferments for 5 to 7 hours at room temperature. I recommend doing at least one stretch and fold after 30 minutes of bulk fermentation. With whole wheat dough, don't overdo the stretch and folds, 1-2 is enough.

Prehaping: Once the dough has fermented, place the bulk on an unfloured surface. Use a bench knife or dough scraper to create a smooth round ball. This can be done by pushing the uneven ends of dough under the smooth top and rotating. Or you can use the scraper to fold one half of the dough over itself to create a smooth top, then use quick short movements to press the uneven parts of dough under the smooth top or rotating the dough until it is smoother, tighter, and round. Let the dough bench rest for 20 minutes. Cover the dough with a dry kitchen towel or tea towel if you have a dry climate or have family members or pets that might disturb it.

Prepare pans: To make sure your loaves release easily from the loaf pans, I recommend lining them with parchment paper. To do this, you will cut a large piece of parchment paper, turn your loaf pan over, then make four cuts at each corner. Fit the cut parchment into the loaf pan by folding the long edges behind the flap.

Final Shaping: Lightly flour the round top of your preshaped dough. Gently rub in the flour. The top of the dough should be coated enough that it is not sticky but there shouldn't be excess flour on the counter. Use a bench knife or dough scraper to cleanly pick up the dough from the work surface and flip it flour side down. Gently stretch the dough into a square-like shape by shaking and gentle pulls (not tearing or pulling aggressively). Once the dough is about 8 inches square, take the top two corners of the dough and fold them diagonally to meet in the center to create a triangle shape at the top of the dough. Take the tip of that triangle and fold it down into the center of the dough. Press dough after each fold to seal the sticky ends together. Then, take both sides and fold them into the center to meet over the folded triangle. Finally, fold the top of the dough down to meet the bottom half closest to you. Seal the seam by pinching or by using the heel of your hand in quick firm pats. Use the dough scraper or bench knife to add tension to the shaped dough by tucking the ends underneath or by pushing it against the unfloured work surface. Pick up the tightened oval shaped loaf of dough and place it seam side down into the prepared loaf pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a clean shower cap.

Proofing: Room temperature proof is 1.5-3 hours until the dough is rising over the edge of the loaf pan and has expanded to completely fill the loaf pan. The dough should feel soft when pressed with a gentle fingertip with an indentation that remains. I prefer doing a 12-16 hour cold proof in the fridge for great flavor, texture, and oven spring.

Towards the end of the proof, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F with a steam pan (metal pan filled with 1-2 inches water on a bottom oven rack) to create manual steam.

Scoring: Lightly flour the top of the loaf for a better score. Then use a sharp bread lame (sharp bread knife can be used) to cut a score into the top of your loaf in a straight line or a thin crescent shape like I demonstrate in the video.

Baking: Place pan into the hot steamy oven. Add a few sprays of water to the walls of the oven then shut the door. Reduce oven temp to 450 degrees F and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove steam pan* and continue baking the for 12 to 15 more minutes.

Cooling: ​Turn the baked loaf out onto a cooling rack. Once bread cools enough to handle, carefully peel off the parchment liner. Let the loaf of bread cool completely for the best bake and to keep well. Cutting the bread too early will allow steam to escape and interrupts the final part of the baking stage to set the texture of the bread. Let the bread cool for at least 2-3 hours or, preferably, overnight. Overnight cooling will allow the bread to slice easily