 Bread Made with Milk and Dairy Products
Milk is not a necessity in breadmaking, and the traditional breads of Europe attaine their impressive spectrum of distinguished flavours and textures without it. Europeans save the butter and cheese to put on top. But on this side of the world, bakers have generally welcomed the contributions milk makes to the quality of the dough, and to the bread it becomes. In this post I will explain some ways you can use dairy products to make loaves that are more nutritious, long-lasting, lighter, and more interesting.
On the nutrition score, adding milk to bread significantly increases its protein and mineral content. Milk also improves bread's keeping quality and makes the crumb texture tender as well. Loaves made with milk have a subtle sweetness, as close, delicate texture, and a richly coloured crust. Whole wheat breads with milk taste softer, less wheaty, than those mixed with water.
Doughs made with milk tend to be a trifle sticky, but even so, when used properly, milk makes life easier for the baker because it increases the length of time that dough will take to rise to be ready to shape and bake, giving more leeway in timing. In addition, yeast is stimulated by milk, and one of milk''s proteins, casein, strengthens the gluten so the bread can rise higher. The dough enhancer that we use in all our breads has whey powder in it which also does the same thing. It is important, though, to scald fresh milk because that protects the dough from two other milk proteins that would otherwise inhibit it's rise.
Pasturized milk has been heated already, it''s true, but this low-temperature process is not enough to denature the gluten-weakening proteins. When you scald milk, skin forming on top signals that it has reached the required temperature: it is then ready to cool and use in your bread. (Scalding is not so important when the proportion of milk to other liquids in the recipe is half or less)
FRESH MILK BREAD RECIPE
Dry Milk: Supermarket powdered milk is produced by a low-temperature process to protect it's flavour, and it is not ideal to use in baking, at least in sizable amounts, unlessit is first reconstituted and scalded. As with fresh milk, though, it the proportion of powdered milk used is small, no more than 1/2 cup non-instant powdered milk to a 4 loaf batch of bread, usually the affect on the bread is not detrimental.
I get and use the non-stant skim milk powder on our yearly whole sale orders with our grains. It stores much longer (2 to 5 years) than instant skim milk powders, cost less, and is less likely to rancid like its's Low Fat and Whole Powdered Milk counterparts.
 Yogurt and Buttermilk -- Add a rich flavour and tenderness. As with fresh milk, you will want to keep the quantity you use below half the amount of liquid in the recipe. The other liquid will usually be water. I have found, in fact, that this works out in other respects: too much yogurt makes the bread taste yogurty (rather than marvelous), and too much buttermilk makes it so tender that the dough can just fall apart. How much is too much? It depends on your yogurt, but 1/3 cup per loaf is a good amount. Buttermilk is subtler, and can make up as much as half the liquid in any bread.
Yogurt--gives the bread tenderness, a fine texture, and a unique richness of flavour that is fuller and tangier than the taste you get from buttermilk. Be most particular about the freshness of the yogurt you use in baking: a lot of fellow travellers can set up housekeeping in a batch of yogurt, and some of them make the bread taste weird. Using your own yogurt that you have made yourself ( we use the Yogourmet for ours) and are particular about protecting our culture from outside influences.
It is especially important that the cultured products you use in bread taste fresh, because if the flavour is off, likely enough the culprit is alive and active, and quite capable of sabotaging your bread dough.
YOGURT BREAD RECIPE
I will talk more about buttermilk and yogurt in my next post as well as adding cottage cheese, butter, and regular cheese to your homemade breads. |
Bread Made with Milk and Dairy Products
because it increases the length of time that dough will take to rise to be ready to shape and bake, giving more leeway in timing. In addition, yeast is stimulated by milk, and one of milk''s proteins, casein, strengthens the gluten so the bread can rise higher. The dough enhancer that we use in all our breads has whey powder in it which also does the same thing. It is important, though, to scald fresh milk because that protects the dough from two other milk proteins that would otherwise inhibit it's rise.
Yogurt and Buttermilk -- Add a rich flavour and tenderness. As with fresh milk, you will want to keep the quantity you use below half the amount of liquid in the recipe. The other liquid will usually be water. I have found, in fact, that this works out in other respects: too much yogurt makes the bread taste yogurty (rather than marvelous), and too much buttermilk makes it so tender that the dough can just fall apart. How much is too much? It depends on your yogurt, but 1/3 cup per loaf is a good amount. Buttermilk is subtler, and can make up as much as half the liquid in any bread.
own yogurt that you have made yourself ( we use the Yogourmet for ours) and are particular about protecting our culture from outside influences. 
