Brown your butter. Cut the butter into slices and place in a light colored bottom or stainless saucepan on medium heat. Once melted, stir or whisk or stir until butter is browned. Butter is ready when it smells nutty and the milk fats are a golden to rich brown. Remove from heat immediately, as butter can burn quickly. Pour into a bowl to let cool slightly.
113 g Unsalted butter
Mix flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl and whisk.
220 g Bread flour | ¾ tsp Salt | 3 g Instant yeast
In a separate bowl whisk together 3 eggs, sugar and water until sugar has incorporated into mixture. Add in browned butter to the egg mixture and mix until combined.
35 g Dark brown sugar | 4 large Eggs | 60 g Lukewarm water
Add liquid ingredients to dry, and mix until fully combined. Cover bowl and let rest for 15 minutes. Dough will be very sticky.
Using a flexible bowl scraper or damp fingers, lift edge of dough, folding it over into the center of the dough. Turn bowl a quarter turn and repeat 7 times, until you have folded over dough twice on each side.
Cover bowl again, and let rest for 30 minutes.
Repeat the folding process, then let dough rest for an hour.
Repeat the folding process one last time (Three rounds of stretch and folds). Then cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for 18-24 hours.
When dough is ready, remove dough from bowl onto a floured work surface and divide into four pieces. Using a scale will help insure the pieces are exactly uniform but it is not required.
Gently press down on each piece of dough and then fold the sides in to create a ball shape. Cover and wait 5-10 minutes.
Flip a dough ball over and using your hands or a rolling pin, flatten and shape into a small rectangle shape that is no wider than the short side of your loaf pan (about 4 inches). Roll the dough on the short side into a log. Repeat with the remaining pieces.
Grease or line an 8 ½” x 4 ½” loaf pan with parchment, and place the four pieces of dough next to each other filling the pan.
Cover the pan and let rise in a warm spot for 90-120 minutes. The dough will be just reaching the top edge of the load pan (doubling in size) when ready.
After about 80 minutes, preheat your oven to 350°F. Beat the remaining egg with a pinch of salt.
Once dough is ready, lightly brush the top with egg wash, and bake on the center rack of your oven for about 35 minutes. Top of loaf will be deep golden brown and interior temp will read 190°F when ready.
Leave loaf in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer out of pan to cooling rack and let cool completely (2-3 hours).
Store in an airtight container for 2-4 days, but bread is best enjoyed fresh.
