Pain De Mie with Brown Butter & Honey

Add 130 ml of water to a small pan over high heat. Bring it to a boil

Add 260 ml of whole milk to a bowl

Add the water to the milk

Add 26 g of fresh yeast and whisk until dissolved

Add 650 g of all-purpose flour to a stand mixer bowl

Add 20 g of caster sugar and 20 g of salt

Mix the dry ingredients with the dough hook attachment on medium-low speed for 30s to incorporate

Slowly pour the yeast mixture into the dry ingredients, still mixing on medium-low speed. When the liquid is absorbed, knead the dough on medium-high speed for 10m until an elastic ball is formed

Add 65 g of cubed butter, one piece at a time while mixing on medium speed. Make sure each piece is fully incorporated before adding the next. Knead on medium-low speed for 5m until the dough is silky and smooth

Transfer the dough to a floured work surface

Work the dough to form a taut ball by folding it under itself

Flour the dough and cover it with a cloth. Let it rise for 1h until it doubles in size

Roll out the proofed dough until it is ½ cm thick

Fold the dough in thirds, while flouring, to make a baton shape

Fold the ends to meet in the middle and flatten the dough by hand. Fold the dough lengthwise into a narrower baton

Grease a bread tin and its lid with butter

Place the dough in the bread tin and press to even it out. Cover with a cloth and rest for 1h until the dough reaches the top of the tin

Preheat the oven to 200 °C

Gently press the proofed dough so you can close the bread tin with the buttered lid

Bake the dough for 30m until light brown

Melt ⅔ cup of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook it until the butter turns brown and smells nutty. Remove from the heat

Transfer the brown butter to a bowl and let it cool over an ice bath

Whisk it over the ice bath until pale and fluffy

The brown butter is ready

Remove the bread from the tin

Bake directly on the oven rack for another 10m until deep golden brown. The pain de mie is ready

Cut 2 slices of the bread

Toast the slices until golden brown

Spread a thin layer of the whipped brown butter on the toast

Drizzle with honey to taste and sprinkle flaky salt to taste. The pain de mie with brown butter & honey is ready

Enjoy as it is or with a side, such as scrambled eggs!