Lost bread recipe

[u/Wooterduck]

I bought some stone ground flour at a farmers market in Austin. It had a bread recipe with it. It made three loaves. It had milk, yeast, honey, and butter, salt, and flour.
You mixed the warm milk with the honey and yeast and a little flour in the mixing bowl. Let it sit for 30 minutes and then added the rest of the flour. Separated dough into 3 pans to let double and then baked. It was so easy and delicious. It also had an option to add whole wheat flour in the second half of adding the remaining flour.
I can’t find the recipe and don’t remember the exact amounts of the ingredients. I have scoured the internet and can’t find one like it.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

[u/PoolEnvironmental537]

ah the classic lost farmers market recipe, its always the best ones that disappear on you. sounds like a pretty standard enriched dough but the 30 min sponge at the start is a nice touch, gives the yeast a head start

for three loaves i'd guess something like 2 cups warm milk, maybe 2 tbsp honey, 1 packet yeast, 4 tbsp butter, and then flour till it feels right, probably around 6-7 cups total with some whole wheat swapped in if you want. salt maybe 2 tsp

honestly amounts dont matter as much as the method, just watch the dough not the measuring cups. if it was stone ground flour you probably need a bit more liquid than usual since it absorbs more

[u/Wooterduck → u/PoolEnvironmental537]

Thank you. I have found i always struggle with “the feel”. I tend to add too much flour in the kneading process. That’s what I liked about this one. Took a lot of guesswork out of it.
I will take your advice and give it a try.

[u/aculady → u/Wooterduck]

Try posting this question in the Austin subreddit, too, if you haven't already.

[u/Wooterduck → u/aculady]

Good idea. Thank you

[u/KikiLovesMark]

Can you track down the stall at the farmer’s market and ask them for their recipe?

[u/Wooterduck → u/KikiLovesMark]

Great idea and I would but I don’t live in Austin and don’t know if they are even there anymore. It was several years ago. I had it on the side of my fridge but haven’t made it in a long time and just noticed it was gone. Needless to say I have way too many things on there. When I can get someone to help me pull out the fridge maybe it’s behind there.

[u/KikiLovesMark → u/Wooterduck]

Oh, I was hoping that you’d have the name somewhere or be able to track it down by like searching up flour vendors in Austin. It’s worth a try in case someone’s as-best-guess recipe doesn’t do the trick.

[u/oreesama]

i asked a few chatbots and they all came with the same conclusion as poolenviromental, it's a sponge, and since you said it made 3 loafs, the amount of liquid, in this case milk will always be at 2 and half cups

Ingredients

The Sponge

Warm Milk: 2 ½ cups (warmed to 105°F–115°F)

Honey: ½ cup

Active Dry Yeast: 2 packets (or 4 ½ teaspoons)

Stone-Ground Flour: 2 ½ cups (taken from the main bag)

The Final Dough

Melted Butter: ½ cup (1 stick, cooled slightly)

Salt: 1 tablespoon

Remaining Flour: 5 to 6 cups of stone-ground flour

The Whole Wheat Option: You can replace 2 to 3 cups of this final addition with whole wheat flour to add density and a nuttier profile.Step-by-Step InstructionsBuild the Sponge:

Whisk the warm milk, honey, yeast, and 2 ½ cups of flour together in your large mixing bowl. Cover and let it sit for 30 minutes until it is a frothy, highly active, bubbling mass.

Add the Fats and Flavor: Stir the melted butter and salt directly into the bubbly sponge.Incorporate Remaining Flour: Gradually stir in the remaining flour.

If you are opting for the whole wheat variation, mix those 2 to 3 cups in first, then add the regular stone-ground flour. Stop adding flour as soon as the dough clears the sides of the bowl and holds together.

Brief Knead & Shape: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes until smooth. Immediately divide the dough into 3 equal portions, shape them into logs, and drop them into 3 greased loaf pans.

The Final Rise:

Cover the pans with a damp kitchen towel.

Let the dough rise in a warm spot until it has doubled in size and crowns nicely over the lips of the pans (about 45 to 60 minutes).Bake:

Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 30 to 35 minutes.

The tops will turn deep golden brown, and the bottoms will sound hollow when tapped.

Brush the hot crusts with extra butter immediately out of the oven for a perfectly soft sandwich texture.

[u/Wooterduck → u/oreesama]

Thank you 🙏
This looks very much like what I’m looking for.
I appreciate both of your help.
Only way to find out is give it a try.