Maple Oat Porridge Whole Wheat Cheddar Loaf

Steps

1. Prepare first: cube the cheddar, cut the butter into pieces, and set aside 10 g of the oats and 10 g of the milk for the topping.
2. Make the oat porridge: in a small pot, heat the 230 g portion of milk until steaming, then take it off the heat and stir in the 90 g portion of oats, the butter and the maple syrup. Let it stand about 20 minutes, until the oats soften and the mixture cools to lukewarm, about 100°F (38°C).
3. In a large bowl, whisk the whole wheat flour, the bread flour, the instant yeast and the salt to make the dry mix.
4. Add the oat porridge and the lukewarm water to the dry mix and stir into a shaggy dough. The dough is about 74% hydration and 2% salt, based on the combined whole wheat flour and bread flour, plus the moisture held in the oats.
5. Knead 10 to 12 minutes by hand or 7 minutes in a stand mixer until smooth, slightly tacky and stretchy. Flatten the dough, scatter the cheddar over it, and fold and knead 1 to 2 minutes until the cheddar is evenly spread.
6. Cover and let rise at about 75°F (24°C) for 60 to 90 minutes, until doubled in size.
7. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Press the dough into a rectangle about 9 inches wide, roll it up tightly from the short end, pinch the seam, and set it seam side down in the pan.
8. Cover and proof at about 75°F (24°C) for 45 to 60 minutes, until the dough crowns about 1 inch above the pan rim and springs back slowly when poked. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) during the last 20 minutes.
9. Brush the top with the reserved 10 g of milk and sprinkle with the reserved 10 g of oats.
10. Bake 38 to 42 minutes, tenting with foil after 20 minutes if browning fast, until the center reaches 190°F (88°C).
11. For a soft crust, turn the loaf out right away and cover it loosely with a clean towel as it cools on a rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before cutting into 12 slices.