Traditional Milk Bread

Category: Cakes and Bakes

The addition of milk to your dough in milk breads improves the nutritional value and keeping qualities of the baked loaf and gives a softer, browner crust. The proportions of milk in this bread can be varied from half to all the liquid.

Servings

Makes 1, 450g loaf

Ingredients

Yeast liquid: 1 tsp dried yeast ½ tsp sugar 190ml hand-hot milk and water mixed 300g strong white breadmakig flour 1 tsp salt 1tsp sugar 40g butter

Method

Stir in the dried yeast and sugar into the liquid and leave until frothy - about 15 minutes. 

Sift together the flour and salt, add the sugar and rub in the butter.  Stir in the yeast liquid and mix to a soft dough.  Turn it onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, elastic and no longer sticky.  Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise until double in size - about 1½ hours.  Knock back the risen dough.  Form each piece into a loaf shape to fit a loaf tin.

Glaze with beaten egg or milk.

Cover shaped dough and leave to prove until double in size - about 1 hour.  Bake in a hot oven 200c/gas 6 until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when the loaf is tapped on the bottom - about 50 - 55 minutes.

Cool on wire rack.

Cook's note: This bread can be made in a bread machine and can be frozen for up to 2 months.