Just learned that adding a tiny bit of milk powder to my bread dough gives it a way softer crust

Read it on a King Arthur baking blog post last night while I couldn't sleep. They said like 2 tablespoons per loaf. Tried it this morning with my usual white bread recipe and the crust came out way less crunchy and more like a storebought sandwich loaf. My kids actually ate the whole thing without complaining. Has anyone else messed around with this? Does it change anything else I should watch for?

2 comments

2 Comments

daniel5526d ago

The milk powder thing is actually how they make those cheap hamburger buns so pillowy. My uncle used to work at a wholesale bakery back in the 90s and he told me they'd dump powdered milk in everything to stretch the recipe, but it made the bread last for days without going stale. I went through a phase last year where I was obsessed with making Japanese milk bread which uses something similar called tangzhong and it's basically the same science. The tangzhong makes the bread stay soft for like a week which is crazy compared to regular homemade bread that turns into a brick by day two. Now I just throw a bit of milk powder in my pizza dough too and it gives the crust this nice chew without being tough.

the_eva6d ago

The whole thing about "less crunchy" is exactly what got me. People chase that hard crust but not everyone wants it. I actually think the milk powder does something to the browning too. It adds extra sugars from the lactose so your crust gets dark faster. Watch your oven temp or you'll end up with a burnt looking loaf that's still pale inside. Dropped it by 25 degrees and it worked way better. Also the milk powder makes the crumb softer too not just the crust. So if you like a heartier bread for sandwiches this might not be your thing.