So is homemade bread better if it's made with milk or water? If you're looking to make bread with a crispy crust and a chewy texture then it's better to use water instead of milk. If you want to make a soft bread with a soft crust then milk will help you achieve this.
Water vs.
Milk changes bread recipes by producing a softer loaf, due to the milk fat content, which also gives bread a richer flavor. Bread made with milk browns more easily than bread made with water, as lactose or milk sugar will caramelize as it bakes.
Water is a common ingredient, but since many people use the timer on their bread machines, most recipes call for non-fat dry milk or powdered buttermilk. However, if you are mixing your dough right away, you can certainly use fresh milk. Simply replace the water with milk or buttermilk and omit the powdered milk.
If you're looking to make bread with a crispy crust and a chewy texture then it's better to use water instead of milk. If you want to make a soft bread with a soft crust then milk will help you achieve this.
Substituting milk for water in bread will usually add both fat (from milkfat) and sugar (lactose). Several changes can happen, including: The crust will typically be softer. The crust will brown more quickly (due to sugar) and can darken more evenly before burning.
There's something magical about the bread you get at your local bakeries - they're always sooo soft and fluffy. Many of these breads, especially packaged ones, are made with a ton of chemical additives such as calcium propionate, amylase, and chlorine dioxide which help keep them soft, light, and fluffy for days.
Carbon dioxide is responsible for all the bubbles that make holes in bread, making it lighter and fluffier. Because gas is created as a result of yeast growth, the more the yeast grows, the more gas in the dough and the more light and airy your bread loaf will be.
Dense or heavy bread can be the result of not kneading the dough mix properly –out of many reasons out there. Some of the other potential reasons could be mixing the yeast & salt together or losing your patience while baking or even not creating enough tension in the finished loaf before baking the bread.
The key difference lies in the dough's chemistry: Western-style bread has zero fat – its main [components] are flour, salt and water while Asian-style bread contains 15 per cent fat and 25 per cent sugar to give that soft texture.
If you want delicate, soft, and tender baked goods, I recommend using oil vs. butter. Butter will result in a denser crumb and not be as moist.
It also means there is less organic acid activity which should produce a lighter-tasting loaf of bread. Due to the slower rise, bread that contains milk usually requires sugar in the dough recipe. The sugar speeds up the action of the yeast to be more in line timewise with water-based doughs.
The recommended amount of skim milk powder used in fermented dough is 2% to 8% based on flour, and up 15% in cakes. Buttermilk and sour milk are used to make variety breads. They have a lower pH and require a shorter fermentation for good results.
Heavy Cream or Milk
If you don't brush the tops, they will be duller in comparison to the browned sides and bottoms. Since milk encourages browning, brushing the tops will give you a desirable rustic golden color out of the oven.
Canola Oil. One of the major reasons canola oil is so popular in baking and cooking is its neutral flavor. This helps bring out the original flavors of the baked goods and prevents the oil from affecting the taste negatively.
Store airtight with the two cut halves facing each other and pressed together. Wrapping bread to retain moisture keeps it soft, though it robs crusty artisan bread of its crispy crust. Wrapping in plastic (or foil) rather than cloth keeps bread soft longer.
Not Spending Enough Time On Kneading Yeast Dough
This is what causes your bread to be airy and fluffy. This mesh is formed by kneading the dough. If you do not knead a dough enough you do not give your bread a chance as the gluten did not have enough time to build that mesh.
Because mass produced bread is full of chemicals; basic artisan and home made bread only has 4 ingredients - flour, water, yeast and salt. How does bread become soft and fluffy? Other than yeast, commercial breads often contain chemical additives to help with texture and density (softness).
Sugar is often added to packaged bread in the US to preserve freshness, create a soft texture, and add sweetness.
It helps to make these soft and spongy. An aqueous solution of baking soda turns red litmus blue.
Adding butter (unsalted) or oil (olive or vegetable) in small quantities to bread results in a higher rise, a crisper crust, and a longer shelf life. When fat is added in large quantities, such as for brioche, it results in a softer texture and less volume.
In each of these baking techniques, hot water (or another liquid, like milk) is combined with flour, which pre-gelatinizes the flour's starches so they can absorb more liquid. This leads to more moisture in the dough and makes for a softer, smoother dough that's easy to handle.