Milk Bread
I make bread every week. Ever since the pandemic started, I have decided to make bread at home. I’m not as talented as my best friend, but my family loves the fresh bread smell at home, the softness and a huge slab of Kerrygold Butter on it. It’s not that hard to make especially since I have a KitchenAid. I dump most of the ingredients in it and let it do it’s thing. I didn’t knead it before, but I realized that kneading gave it an extra ride and extra softness, so I learned how to knead on Tumblr and Reddit. I don’t knead it for long either. I give it a 3-5 minute knead depending on how my carpel tunnel is. Since my hand hurts and had to have physical therapy I try to avoid it as much as possible. I’ve been trying to teach VJ how to knead but we haven’t practiced it much.
I bought a bread maker and tried a lot to make in it, but it was a disaster. It was too burnt, or under baked, or under risen. Only the pizza dough (which didn’t cook) came out well, and I can make that in my kitchen aid as well. So I returned it, and continued in my wonderful KitchenAid. My aunt requested my bread recipe, after my dad visited her in New Jersey and told them about the wonders of my baking (I hope he did). When my sister got married, and my brother in law was here as well, I made everyone cinnamon buns, chocolate bread, and fresh bread every week. They loved it so much! Dad was seriously amazed at my baking skills, and it’s hard to amaze him anymore. This bread recipe has only 5 ingredients and one optional ingredient. Please share pictures when you make this recipe. S Atta, this recipe is for you.
INGREDIENTS
Milk – 1 and 1/4 cup
Maple Syrup – 1/4 cup
Yeast – 1.5 teaspoons
Salt – 1 teaspoon
All Purpose Flour – 3 cups (or more)
Milk Powder – 2 tablespoons (optional)
Butter – 2 tablespoons (optional)
HOW TO MAKE
Step 1: Heat your milk for 45 seconds in the microwave. Your milk needs to be lukewarm for the yeast to rise. It should be hot to dip your finger in, but shouldn’t be hot to burn your finger. Add maple syrup to it and mix it well.
Step 2: Add the yeast to milk, mix it and keep it aside for 10 minutes, until the yeast froths up.
Step 3: In the KitchenAid bowl add 1 cup of flour, the milk powder (optional), and salt. Keep mixing it, and then add the milk and yeast mixture.
Step 4: Add another cup of flour, and let the stand in mix it for a few minutes, add the butter in at this point as well (totally optional). Keep adding flour until the dough is sticky.
Step 5: Add the dough to a well floured surface, and start kneading. Knead it for 5 minutes or until the dough is soft to the touch. When you poke a finger, it should bounce back.
Step 6: Grease a bowl big enough for the dough to rise (with butter or olive oil), and place the kneaded dough in it. Cover with a wet dishcloth, or a cling wrap and set it aside for 3 hours (at least 2 hours).
Step 7: Once 3 hours are up, take a peak at it. It should have doubled in size. Put the risen dough on the counter, and cut them into 2 portions.
Step 8: Take each of the portions and shape them into loaves.
Step 9: Grease the bread pan with butter or oil, and add parchment paper to prevent the bread from sticking to the pan (I use glass loaves pan instead of aluminum, and it still sticks, but the parchment paper helps).
Step 10: Cover the loaves pans with cling wrap or a tea towel, and let them rise for a second time for 2 more hours.
Step 11: Once 2 hours are up, heat the oven to 350F. I use a thermometer to make sure it’s at the actual temperature.
Step 12: Brush the risen loves with some milk, and put them in the oven to bake for 25-28 minutes. Once done, remove them from the tins, set them in a drying rack, and slice them to eat with tons of butter.
TIPS:
1. The milk powder and butter are optional. They elevate the taste of the bread.
2. Here is how I knead bread but this is one of my old videos. I need to record myself and will update this link soon.
3. My loaves are sort of small, I usually make smaller loaves so that Arlo gets the feeling he’s eating more bread, but you can adjust the quantities a little, to make 1 loaf, or increase it and make it into 2 big loaves.
4. I have still not perfected making loaves, but please watch Jennifer Garner’s FB page where she shows how to shape into a loaf. Whatever I make the bread disappears so I’m not very concerned about the shape.
5. I use the same recipe to pave Pavs for Pav Bhaji and they taste delicious!
❤️ Mahi
