If there were a loaf of bread that was almost dessert, it would be milk bread. Milk bread is soft, lightly sweet, and heavenly in the mouth. Spread some soft butter on a slice, sit back, and enjoy that slice!
Don’t let bread-making scare you; you can do it! It’s not magic, it’s science. The more you do it, the more you will master bread making.
Milk Bread
Ingredients:
- 1 cup warm water
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg (for egg wash)
Directions:
If cooking in a cool house, plug in a heating pad and set it to medium.
Add the water, sugar, and yeast to a stand mixer bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Add in the milk and salt and 3 cups of the flour. Using a bread hook, mix the dough well.
Sprinkle flour on a work surface, dump the wet dough onto it, and sprinkle more flour from the remaining cup.
Using a bench scraper, knead the dough by using it to fold the dough over and over, adding more flour as needed. Once the dough is relatively smooth, work in the remaining flour by hand, kneading until the dough is smooth, elastic, and not overly sticky (about 10 minutes total kneading time).
Lightly oil a large mixing bowl, add the dough, and flip over to cover. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel. If needed, place on a heating pad and let rise for an hour.
Lightly oil a 9″x 5″ bread pan,
Punch the dough down, fold the dough in thirds, and place in the pan. Cover the pan and let rise for 20 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°.
Whisk the egg, and using a pastry brush, coat the top.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden on top and sound hollow when rapped on with knuckles.
Pop-out gently onto a cooling rack. Let cool before slicing. Store in a bread bag, tightly wrapped.
Makes one loaf.
~Sarah