Week Three: Milk Loaves

Are you wondering what the heck a milk loaf is? I certainly was. So lets have a google of that.

Google tells me this: “Settlers in the American plains states, where wood for cookstoves was in short supply, usually made their bread with milk and butter because it kept fresh longer than bread made with just water. This meant they could bake larger batches less often, saving fuel. It also produces a fine crumb.”

Seems everyone wants to claim the milk loaf, another search tells me its quintessentially British. Whatever. I can discern that it’s bread, and it has milk in it. Enough said, lets get baking!

“Cream the yeast and sugar”? That’s a little creative, women’s weekly. I would have preferred that you said “gently stir” as there is nothing cream like about the mixing I did with this. 

Butter in the pan, I love that all these recipes use butter. 

Getting the evaporated milk ready. This was crucial. It involved opening the tin.

Water and milk is ready to add to the melted butter.

Looks nice and yellow, adding the “creamed” yeast and sugar in there. Apparently this is meant to become frothy? I don’t like the chances of that happening.

So whilst I’m waiting, lets sift the rest of the ingredients.

 Hey what do you know! Its like science! It actually DID go frothy! Woo!

Making a nice big well for this frothy mix to be poured into.

Yeah that well business worked, didn’t it? Ha!

Mixing the dough, why do I need a wooden spoon? Wouldn’t my Teflon one work just as well?

Kneading the dough. I expected to have to knead more but this was fairly quick.

Back into the bowl, time to rise!

Putting the dough to bed, next to the microwave where it’s nice and warm.

An hour later I lift the cover and look at this! Super high!

“Loaf like shapes” well, I tried…

At least this isn’t as sticky as the other recipes I did. Went into the pan nicely.

Half time in the oven, looking great!

 Ready to cool, I have to say this bread smells good. It has a different smell to your usual bread, sort of like cheese.

Sliced and ready to eat! The milk does give it a different taste, like a cheesy parmesan type taste but its quite subtle. Beyond the few hours of rising and waiting this was an easy recipe and now I’ve got fresh bread for dinner!