Milk Loaf

Although Milk Roll is a specific shape, it relies on the use of a Milk Roll mould. However, this recipe is ideal for baking Milk Loaf - using a 2lb loaf tin. 

You'll find the recipe for Milk Roll at: 

https://breadclub20.blogspot.com/2021/01/milk-roll.html

Milk Roll / Loaf is traditionally a soft and light white bread with a soft crust. It's usually made in a round mould that gives indentations as a guide to cutting perfect round slices for sandwiches. The soft crust is due to the loaf being encased and, in effect, steamed. In the 1950s and 1960s, it was favoured by mums as a bread for children because it was rich in calcium. 

In times gone by, it was also known as the 'Lodger's Loaf' because landladies could accurately measure the slices for tea or for 'butties'. 

The recipe embeded above was for a loaf that was formed in a sealed milk roll case. This recipe is for those of you who have a large loaf tin and would prefer, out of ease or necessity, to use that. You could also free form this into a boule. In this form it's Milk Bread, but still perfectly acceptable. The taste is the same and, as we know, it's all in the taste....well, almost. 

INGREDIENTS

450 gms strong white bread flour (or T55 flour, if you have any)

250 mls warm skimmed milk (skimmed milk helps to reduce the fat but doesn't lessen the calcium)

25 gms soft unsalted butter

Half a teaspoon of sea salt

1 teaspoon honey (or 1 teaspoon demerera sugar)

1 teaspoon fast action instant yeast

1 x 2lb loaf tin

METHOD

If you're mixing by hand, place all the ingredients into a bowl and bring together into a sticky dough. Turn out on to a floured board and knead until you have a soft and pliable dough. (There are guides as to how to knead bread on the left hand side of this page). Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave at room temperature until it has doubled in size. 

If you're mixing by machine, place the flour and the salt in the pan, add the milk, butter, honey (or sugar) and yeast and choose a basic dough recipe. 

Turn the dough out onto a floured board and gently stretch and fold in thirds, turning through 90 degrees with each stretch and fold. This technique is explained in more detail in 'How to build tension in bread', available from within the 'Useful Web and YouTube links' at the left hand side of this page. 

Oil or flour a 2lb loaf tin and place the dough in the tin. 

After an hour's prove - ready for the oven

Leave, covered, in a warm place for about an hour. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C

Bake for 30 minutes. 

Allow it to cool for two or three minutes in the tin and then carefully turn the loaf out onto a cooling rack.

Happy baking......