Description
This classic Milk Bread recipe yields a soft, fluffy, and slightly sweet loaf perfect for sandwiches, toast, or enjoying plain. Made with simple ingredients like all-purpose flour, whole milk, and butter, this bread features a tender crumb and golden crust, ideal for both beginners and experienced bakers.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (500g)
- 1/4 cup sugar (50g)
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (7g)
- 1 tsp salt (6g)
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk (240ml), warmed
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (60g)
Instructions
- Activate Yeast: In a bowl, combine warm milk and sugar. Sprinkle yeast over the top and let it sit for about 5 minutes until the mixture becomes frothy, indicating the yeast is active.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour and salt. Create a well in the center of the flour.
- Combine Dough: Pour the yeast mixture and melted butter into the well of dry ingredients. Mix everything together until forming a shaggy dough.
- Knead Dough: Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.
- First Rise: Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a cloth or plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size, which should take about 1 hour.
- Shape Dough: Punch down the risen dough to release air. Flatten into a rectangle and tightly roll it to shape into a loaf.
- Second Rise: Place the shaped loaf into a greased loaf pan. Cover and allow it to rise again until nearly doubled in size, about another hour.
- Bake Bread: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the loaf for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when tapped.
Notes
- For softer crust, brush the loaf with melted butter immediately after baking.
- You can substitute whole milk with any milk of choice, but it may slightly alter texture.
- Ensure milk is warm (not hot) to properly activate the yeast.
- If dough is too sticky during kneading, sprinkle lightly with flour; avoid adding too much to keep bread soft.
- Leftover bread can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
