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Sweet Milk Bread recipe

Sweet Milk Bread – Nothing whets the appetite like the aroma of a yeast bread baking in the oven. This white bread is soft, slightly chewy, milky and sweet.

Super soft, Sweet white Bread

WHITE BREAD

Baking fresh bread at home does not only bring rich soul-satisfying fragrant aromas, but it also delivers a quintessential home-baking experience.

Growing up, we lived a couple of blocks away from the bakery so we had access to fresh Bread almost every time, so when I left home a couple of years ago I began to crave for that sweet, soft and slightly chewy Bread that I grew up with.

I searched different grocery stores but I did not get exactly what I wanted. The only choice I had left was to start trying out recipes. I tried out a ton of Bread recipes both online and in books, and years after (yes you read right, years!) I was able to come up with this beautiful sweet milk bread recipe after a lot of trials, fails and now, success!

Super soft, sweet yeast Bread

You can make this Sweet white Bread with or without a mixer. However, in order to achieve a perfect result, you need to use Bread Flour because it has a higher gluten content compared to the all-purpose Flour. Though I’ve used all-purpose flour a couple of times and it turned out good but I will favor the outcome of Bread flour over that all-purpose flour because the difference is clear.

How to make the Basic Sweet Milk White Bread with the stand Mixer

The first thing to check is the capability of your machine. A large stand mixer will successfully handle about 7 to 8 cups of flour. However, if you have a smaller stand mixer, I will advise that you divide this recipe into two.

Another important fact is that there is a very high tendency for you to over-knead the dough while using a stand mixer. Therefore, I will advise you to start checking how the dough is doing after about five minutes from the time you started the kneading process.

To use the stand mixer, simply add all the ingredients into the mixing bowl and start mixing together using the dough hook on low speed till a mass of dough is formed. Continue to process until the dough cleans up the sides of the dough.

If all your ingredients are correctly measured, you will have no need to add more liquid. However, if there’s a need to add more flour, feel free to do that (a little at a time)  until you achieve a soft and elastic but not sticky dough.

Sweet White Bread

How to Make the Sweet Bread without a Stand Mixer

This bread loaf can also be made with no stand mixer. You will need a clean table with a comfortable height and of course, some elbow strength! This hand kneading method should take about 10 minutes.

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, once everything is well combined, turn the dough to a lightly floured work surface and begin to knead until the dough is no longer sticky and it becomes soft, smooth and elastic.

Just like I stated for the machine method above, if you measure all your ingredients correctly, you will have no need to add more liquid. However, for the hand kneading method, you will need to add more flour – a little at a time as needed until you achieve a soft and elastic but not sticky dough.

Other Bread Recipes you might want to try:

Please note that you need to induce steam into the Oven by pouring water in a pan and placing it on the bottom rack of the oven. This will ensure that the bread bakes well and rises to its full potential before the crust is formed. It also helps to achieve that soft crust.

Super soft white Bread loaf

This is not a quick bread method, but the wait time is well worth it, therefore, let the dough rest well. This rest period will allow the gluten to develop well.  Don’t hasten or shorten the rest time and you will be rewarded with a perfectly soft and chewy sweet loaf of bread.

Let’s talk about Yeasts

There are a whole lot of yeast types that you can use in bread making. However, I will be talking about the two main types that are common to the home baker.

The first is the active dry yeast and the second is the instant yeast (also known as the fast rice or rapid-rise yeast). Learn the difference and similarities of active dry yeast and instant yeast here.

The active dry yeast may or may not be proofed. I know this may be a bit surprising because a lot of people think that there is a need to proof the active dry yeast. I have used the active dry yeast several times without proofing it and with great result.

On the other hand, Rapid Yeast does not require any proofing. You can add this directly to your dry ingredients. It will work just fine.

I will always encourage those who are new to baking to always proof their yeast with warm water between a temperature of 110°F and 115°F and a bit of Sugar just to make sure that the yeast is alive and well. A bad yeast will produce a bad bread.

For this recipe, I proofed my yeast just to help new bakers get it right. If you are not new to baking, you may skip that step.

Other Notes:

  • Make sure you measure all the ingredients accurately.
  • Bring all the Eggs and butter to room temperature before using it.
  • Be sure that the water you use is warm, not hot or cold.
  • I added Vitamin C Powder. You can replace this with Vinegar. This acts as a preservative and it also creates an acidic environment which helps the Yeast to work better.
  • When the dough is rising, it’s very important to place it in a warm place. I usually place mine in the Oven with the oven light on.
  • Depending on the Oven you use, some ovens require that you rotate the bread from back to front during the baking process for even brownness.
  • To test for doneness, simply insert a skewer inside the middle of the bread
  • Once the bread is done, butter the surface to give the bread a shiny, soft and tender crust.
  • To get the best texture from your bread, let it cool down completely before slicing it.
  • Always let the Bread come to room temperature before wrapping it and storing it.

What type of Oven Should I use for baking my Bread?

All types of Oven – Gas oven, Electric oven, Convection oven or conventional Oven will all give you a good bread. However, I will like to talk a bit about the effect of the electric oven on the bread.

The electric Ovens have coils that are exposed, and this produces direct heat on the pan from the bottom. Therefore, there is a high tendency for your Bread to burn when using this type of Oven. To prevent this from happening, simply place a foil paper over the oven rack before placing your bread pan on it. The foil paper will prevent the direct effect of the exposed coils on the bread

For all oven types, you may want to rotate the bread halfway during the baking process in order to achieve the even brownness.

Super soft, sweet yeast Bread

There are a couple of Bread recipes that I usually make in my house (Yep, we love Bread). Feel free to check here to see if you

Sometimes, we forget about the Tea, Sauce, Butter or Eggs and we end up eating the bread as is within a couple of hours. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Soft sweet Milk Bread recipe

Sweet Milk Bread recipe

Sweet Milk Bread – Nothing whets the appetite like the aroma of a yeast bread baking in the oven. This white Bread is soft, slightly chewy, milky and sweet.
4.60 from 112 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine: Global
Keyword: homemade, Milk Bread, Sweet Bread, White Bread
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Resting Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4 Loaves
Calories: 1026kcal
Author: Lola Osinkolu

Ingredients

  • 6 Cups Bread Flour 6 to 6.5
  • 1 Cup Sugar
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Vitamin C Powder Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 3 Tablespoons Butter
  • 2 Tablespoons Yeast
  • 1 Cup Water
  • 1 Cup Milk
  • 2 Eggs

Instructions

Without a Stand Mixer

  • Dissolve the yeast and 2 teaspoons sugar in warm water and the Yeast to Proof for 5 minutes or till the yeast becomes frothy.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, and salt. Mix well.
  • Create a well in the middle of the flour mixture, add the yeast mixture, eggs, milk, melted butter and vinegar (vitamin c powder) and begin to mix with your hands until a mass of sticky dough is formed.
  • Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and begin to knead dusting the table with a little bit of flour at a time to prevent the dough from sticking to your work surface.
  • After about 10 minutes of working the dough, it should become smooth and elastic. Transfer the dough inside the large mixing bowl.
  • Coat it with a little oil to prevent it from drying out and cover with a damp cloth. Place in a warm place to rise for one hour or until it's doubled in size. 
  • After one hour, bring out the dough and punch it down to remove the excess air. Don't overbeat it.
  • Transfer the dough back to the work surface. Divide it into four equal parts and shape each into a loaf. You can also knead the dough into a rectangular shape with a rolling pin and then tightly roll it up (as you would a Mat) into a loaf.
  • Prepare four loaf pans by greasing them with oil and dusting them with flour or simply spray them with a non-stick cooking spray.
  • Place the shaped dough inside the prepared loaf pans, cover and leave to rise for 30 minutes.
  • After 30 minutes, place the loaves inside a 350°F preheated oven and bake between 20 to 25 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in the middle of the bread comes out clean.
  • Leave to cool for a couple of minutes and enjoy!

Stand Mixer Instructions

  • Dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water and the Yeast to Proof for 5 minutes or till the yeast becomes frothy.
  • Add all the ingredients (except the butter) inside the bowl of the mixer. Set the mixer to medium speed and begin to mix. 
  • After about 4 to 5 minutes of mixing the dough, turn off the mixer and add the butter. Then continue to mix for about 2 to 3 more minutes until the dough becomes elastic and pulls away from the sides of the Bowl.
  • (Proceed with the remaining steps from 6 above)

Notes

1-I added Vitamin C Powder. This can also be replaced with Vinegar. This acts as a preservative and it also creates an acidic environment which helps the Yeast to work better.
2-The Butter helps to enhance the flavor, texture, and moisture in the bread.
3-I steamed up the Oven so that the Dough will have enough time to rise before the crust is formed.
4-I Buttered the Bread surface to get a shiny, soft and tender crust.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 1026kcal | Carbohydrates: 196g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 722mg | Potassium: 330mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 53g | Vitamin A: 480IU | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 9.1mg

Watch the step by step video on how to make this sweet Milk Bread

Let’s Connect.

You can find me on Facebook, and Instagram. I love keeping in touch with all of you!

If you make this Sweet Milk Bread, I’d love to see pictures of your creations on Instagram or Facebook. #cheflolaskitchen

This is not the popular Nigerian agege Bread but it will satisfy your cravings
This is not the popular Nigerian agege Bread but it will satisfy your cravings
4.60 from 112 votes (87 ratings without comment)
Recipe Rating




Ozioma Nmeka

Saturday 18th of November 2023

You are too much, I will love to get more receipts from bread cake and other. Keep it up

Diane N

Thursday 27th of April 2023

Is it possible to make this recipe in a bread machine? Any feed back?

Chef Lola's Kitchen

Thursday 27th of April 2023

Diane, I haven't made it in a bread machine before. Nevertheless, I believe it should come out well.

Noah

Wednesday 22nd of March 2023

Also, how would you bake this in a convection Oven? Would I keep the temp the same?

Noah

Wednesday 22nd of March 2023

Hi! Would it be possible to mix all of the ingredients, then store this in the fridge for a few days before shaping & allowing to rise, then baking?

Gladys

Thursday 2nd of March 2023

Can you freeze the dough before the second rise?