Milk Bread

My mother taught me about saving recipes.  She had notebook after notebook of things she wanted to try.  Now that I don’t have to deal with finicky eaters, I’m getting to try some experimentation of my own.

This was something new for me.  I’ve been baking bread for most of my life, but this recipe was totally different than any I’d made in the past.  For one thing, whip cream in bread dough???  The whole thing came together in the KitchenAid.  It is a full yeast dough, so there’s no quick mix and bake like Irish Soda bread.  This is worth every moment you spend on it.

The other thing that was a little strange was placing the dough in the pans.  You make logs and fit them in.  We tried 2 ways.  I can’t tell you why; I found no explanation.  My own theory includes the very soft nature of the dough.  You also bake it until a very dark crust forms.  Very dark!

It’s a great bread and I’m definitely adding it to my rotation.  I found my recipe on the Food52 site.  It’s an amazing resource; check it out.  And yes, I made a few modifications.  Enjoy.

• 5 ¹/₃ cups flour, divided, plus more for surface
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ¹/₃ cup mild honey
• 3 tablespoons dry milk powder
• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast (from about 3 envelopes)
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 3 large eggs, divided
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature
• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• Flaky sea salt (optional, but shouldn’t be)

1. Cook 1/3 cup flour and 1 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a thick paste forms (almost like a roux but looser), about 5 minutes. Add cream and honey and cook, whisking to blend, until honey dissolves.
2. Transfer mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and add milk powder, yeast, kosher salt, 2 eggs, and 5 remaining cups flour. Knead on medium speed until dough is smooth, about 5 minutes. Add butter, a piece at a time, fully incorporating into dough before adding the next piece, until dough is smooth, shiny, and elastic, about 4 minutes.
3. Coat a large bowl with nonstick spray and transfer dough to bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
4. If making loaves, lightly coat two 9- by 5-inch loaf pans with nonstick spray. Turn out dough onto a floured surface and divide into 12 pieces. Nestle pieces side-by-side to create 2 rows down length of each pan.
5. Let shaped dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size (dough should be just puffing over top of pan), about 1 hour.
6. Preheat oven to 375° F. Beat remaining egg with 1 teaspoon. water in a small bowl to blend. Brush top of dough with egg wash and sprinkle with sea salt, if desired. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until bread is deep golden brown, starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, and is baked through, 50 to 60 minutes for loaf, let cool completely.

and remember:  Only the educated are free.  Big kiss, Lynn