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1
Toast the wheat germ in a dry skillet until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Whisk the milk, water, 3 tablespoons of the butter and the honey together in a large measuring cup.
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2
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the yeast, salt, toasted wheat germ, the bread flour and 1 1/4 cups of the whole wheat flour to combine. With the food processor running, pour the milk mixture through the feed tube and process until a rough ball forms, about 30 to 40 seconds. Let the dough rest for 2 minutes, then process again for 30 seconds.
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3
Using some of the remaining 1/4 cup of whole wheat flour, lightly flour your work surface. Turn the dough out onto the surface and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining whole wheat flour as necessary to prevent the dough from sticking to the work surface. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
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4
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and use your hands to press it into a 9-inch square. Roll the dough into a tight cylinder and pinch the seam together to secure. Place the loaf seam-side down in a greased 9-inch loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size and the dough springs back slowly when indented with your finger, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
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5
Preheat oven to 350 F. Bring a kettle or pot of water to a boil. Brush the top of the dough with the remaining tablespoon of butter. Set the loaf pan on an oven rack in the middle position and place an empty metal loaf pan next to it. Fill the empty pan about half full with the boiling water. Bake the bread until golden and the center registers 200 F on an instant-read thermometer, about 40 to 50 minutes. Turn the bread out onto a wire rack and let cool to room temperature before slicing, about 2 hours.
