Monday, July 5, 2010

White Bread

This is not your store's "Wonder bread." This style of dough has many uses beyond that of just a loaf bread. One could make dinner rolls, hamburger buns and hot dog buns. It's often referred to as milk dough because in most version the hydration is primarily from fresh milk (or powdered milk and water).

These white breads fall into the category of enriched breads, as they are made with the used natural dough conditioners: fat (butter or oil), sugar, and milk. The cause the crust to caramelize quickly and, when fermented correctly, give the finished bread a light-as-air quality with a very soft texture.

The variations of this type of bread will mostly come with the kind of milk and fat used and small changes in the ratio of dry to wet ingredients. Once created I would have to say that this was the most flavorful bread I have made to date. I say that every week, but some how this one was so different. Perhaps it was because it was so simple and relatively quick to make.