Whole Wheat Germ and Dried Fruit Soft European Bread

Toast the wheat germ in advance, and measure out the dried cranberries for later use. Mix all the ingredients except butter, wheat germ, and dried fruits until well combined and the gluten develops. Add the butter and knead until the dough is smooth. Since this is whole wheat bread, there's no need to knead until fully developed. In the last 3 minutes, add the wheat germ and dried cranberries, then knead until evenly incorporated.

Let the dough undergo its first fermentation in an environment of about 28°C until it doubles in size. Press a floured finger into the dough; if the hole neither springs back nor collapses, the fermentation is complete.

Divide the dough into two portions, shape into rounds, and let them rest at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.

Once rested, roll the dough out into a rectangle.

Flip it over and gently roll it into a cylinder.

Dust with high-gluten flour, then place the dough seam-side up in a proofing basket. Let it undergo its final fermentation for about 50 minutes in a 35°C environment with a bowl of hot water.

Ferment until the dough roughly doubles in size.

Take the dough out of the proofing basket, invert it onto a baking sheet so the seam side faces down.

Score the dough as desired, then let it proof for another 10 minutes.

Place in a preheated 200°C oven on the middle rack and bake for 20 minutes on both top and bottom heat. Adjust time and temperature according to your oven.

Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack immediately. Enjoy the bread while it's warm — crispy on the outside, soft on the inside.