Milk Loaf Bread
1706kcal
Ingredients
The Dough
- 270 g Bread Flour
- 25 g Milk Powder
- 100 g Milk
- 1 Whole egg (approx. 50g)
- 30 g Sweetened condensed milk
- 30 g Sugar
- 3 g Salt
- 4 g Dry Instant Yeast (or 10g Fresh Yeast)
- 35 g Unsalted butter (softened)
Equipment
- 2 Square Baking Molds (or one standard 4x8-inch Rectangular Loaf Pan)
- Stand Mixer (with dough hook attachment)
Method
Mixing & Bulk Fermentation
- Mix Base: Add the milk, egg, sweetened condensed milk, milk powder, instant yeast, sugar, bread flour, and salt into a stand mixer bowl.
- Knead Phase 1: Mix on low speed for 2–3 minutes (or KitchenAid speed 3 for 5–6 minutes) until the ingredients are well incorporated and the dough cleanly wraps itself around the hook.
- Enrich: Add the softened butter to the bowl. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and knead for an additional 10 minutes until the butter completely integrates, leaving the dough ultra-smooth and elastic enough to pass the windowpane test.
- Bulk Rise: Shape the smooth dough into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let proof for about 2 hours at room temperature (76–78°F) until doubled in volume.
Technical Shaping
- Divide & Round: Tip the dough onto a clean surface. If using one rectangular pan, divide into 3 equal pieces. If using two small square molds, divide into 4 equal pieces. Round each portion into a tight ball, cover, and let rest for 15 minutes.
- First Roll: Roll each rested ball out into a rectangle, then fold the long sides inward toward the center to create a long rope (roughly 12cm / 4.7 inches long). Repeat for all portions, cover, and let rest for another 15 minutes to relax the gluten.
- The Elongated Stretch: Take a dough rope. Lift the top end into the air with one hand while using your rolling pin with the other hand to roll the bottom half downward as long as possible. Reverse your grip, lift the bottom end, and roll the top half out paper-thin. The final stretched dough strip should reach roughly 50 cm (20 inches) in length.
- Roll Up: Roll the long, thin strip up tightly from the short edge into a compact cylinder. Repeat with the remaining dough portions.
Final Proof & Baking
- Pan Proof: Arrange the rolled cylinders side-by-side into your greased baking mold(s). Cover with plastic wrap and let proof for approximately 3 hours at 78°F (26°C) until the expanding crowns climb to exactly 1cm below the top edge of the pan.
- Bake: Preheat your oven to 320°F (160°C). Bake the loaves for 25 minutes until the tops are beautifully and uniformly golden brown. Remove from the pans immediately and cool on a wire rack.
Nutrition
Calories1706kcalCarbohydrates258gProtein54gFat50gSaturated Fat28gPolyunsaturated Fat4gMonounsaturated Fat13gTrans Fat1gCholesterol290mgSodium454mgPotassium1016mgFiber8gSugar62gVitamin A1597IUVitamin C3mgCalcium516mgIron4mg
Notes
- Why Stretch the Dough to 50 cm?: Rolling the dough strips out exceptionally thin and long before rolling them into cylinders is the secret step to building micro-thin layers of gluten alignment. This creates an ultra-soft, shreddy interior architecture that pulls apart like cotton candy once baked.
- Substituting Milk Powder & Condensed Milk: If you cannot source milk powder, you can substitute it with an equal weight of cornstarch or potato starch to preserve the tender crumb, though you will lose a bit of the dairy flavor. If you need a substitute for sweetened condensed milk, replace it with an equal weight of heavy cream mixed with a tiny pinch of white sugar.
- Baking Without a Stand Mixer: This recipe can absolutely be completed entirely by hand! Mix all ingredients (except the butter) in a large bowl until a shaggy, lumpy dough forms. Cover and let autolyse/rest for 30 minutes. Once rested, the flour will have naturally hydrated, making it much easier to knead the softened butter in by hand until smooth.
- Repurposing into Cinnamon Rolls: This enriched milk dough makes an absolute dream base for sweet buns! Instead of separating into loaf portions at step 5, roll the entire bulk dough out into a large rectangle, spread your favorite cinnamon-sugar butter filling over the surface, roll tightly into a log, slice into rounds, and proof for 1.5–2 hours before baking.
- Sourdough Conversion: To adapt this recipe for natural wild yeast, omit the 4g of commercial instant yeast. Add 80g of an active, sweet stiff sourdough starter (built with a touch of sugar) while reducing the recipe's liquid milk by 40g and the bread flour by 40g to balance hydration. Note that your final proof in the pan will extend significantly, taking anywhere from 6 to 8 hours depending on your kitchen's temperature.