Bacon Fat Brioche Sandwich Bread

Preparation

1. Note: A cooking scale is recommended when baking bread.
2. Place flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl, keeping salt and yeast on separate sides of the bowl (salt can inhibit yeast growth). Set aside. To the bowl of a stand mixer, add all the water, honey, and eggs. Pour flour mixture over top, and using the dough hook attachment, mix on medium-low speed for about 10 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and slowly add butter a tbsp. at a time, followed by bacon fat, allowing each bit of butter and fat to fully incorporate into the dough before the next addition, about a 10-minute process. Mix dough on medium-high speed for another 10 to 15 minutes. You should start to hear the dough slap against the sides of the bowl. Use the windowpane test to ensure the dough is fully mixed: Take a small piece of dough about the size of a golf ball and flatten it. Pull each side to gently stretch it. You should be able to see light through it before it tears.
3. Transfer dough into an oiled bowl, and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let sit (“proof”) at room temperature for 1 hour. After an hour, press down on the dough to release the air from it.
4. Grease and set aside 2 (9×5-inch) loaf pans. Divide dough into 2 equal portions and place on a lightly floured work surface. Shape into a ball—or a “boule”—by flattening each portion into a rough rectangle, then take the short sides of the rectangle and fold them toward the center to create a seam. Flip the dough over, seam side down. Use your hands to cup the dough and move them in a circular motion to form the boule shape. Allow the dough balls to rest on the baking surface for about a half hour.
5. Next you’ll want to shape the dough to resemble a fat log no longer than your loaf pan: Flip the dough balls smooth side down. Flatten each one again and fold the top half to the center, then the bottom half, to create another seam. Press the seam together, then flip the dough over and place your hands on the ends of the dough and gently roll it back and forth to elongate. Place the logs into prepared pans. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let sit at room temperature for about an hour or until the dough has doubled in size and holds a gentle finger dimple.
6. While the dough is proofing, preheat the oven to 375°F. Whisk an egg with 1 tbsp. water, and brush the egg wash over each proofed loaf. Place in oven and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until bread reaches an internal temperature of 200°F. Carefully remove bread from pans and cool on a wire rack.