Kitchen Corner

June 14, 2010

Milky Square Loaf



I've received quite a few comments from previous bread post recently. Many of them having some problems just like I do, either the dough couldn't rise to the perfect square or the texture was not right etc. I must said I'm not a perfect baker and sometimes I do have problems with my dough too especially my first year of learning bread making, it's really a struggling. I think the problems could be the room temperature, humidity, yeast and all other ingredients that cause a failure. However, we all learn from mistakes. The more you practice and the more you could figure out the solution. I've been long time didn't bake a square loaf because I was crazy about the wholesome blacky bread recently, the texture and taste is just so good for me. This milky wholemeal bread is the one I did it quite often at my earlier bread learning journey and it become my almost daily bread. As some of the bloggers had problem making it, so I decided to give this a try again since I quite miss it too! 


I'm quite happy with the result this time, it's a square loaf and the texture is soft and light. I hope people who face the failure please don't be dishearten and give up. Do it again until you get it. I'll not shame to tell you that I've feed the bin with my failure doughs many times which I couldn't remember how many. Again, thanks for everyone dropping at my blog for leaving your words! Let's face the problem and solve it. You'll get a right bread soon!


Recipe for the bread:
Bread flour 270g
Wholemeal flour 30g
Yeast 3g (this time I used 4g for a square loaf)
Sugar 6g
Salt 5g
Cold milk 240g
Unsalted butter 12g





Method:
  1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a kneading bowl with 240ml cool milk except butter. Knead until everything combine.
  2. Gradually add in the butter continue the kneading process until it become smooth and elastic. (the dough might have a bit wet but not sticky, you might need longer time to knead it)
  3. Shape it into a smooth round dough, cover with cling film and let it rest for 80 minutes. (This time I proof for 60 minutes)
  4. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and roll to form 'ball' shapes.
  5. Flatten each dough and roll out into a longish shape. Roll up the dough like a swiss-roll. Place the rolled doughs on a baking pan proof for 60 minute. (I forgot to set the time, and almost proof until 95% full of the tin about 80 minutes)
  6. Bake approximately 25 minutes or until golden brown at 190'C preheated oven. (For a square loaf I baked at 200C about 35 minutes)

25 comments:

Snooky doodle said...

wow gorgeous bread! I surely am not good at making this.

WendyinKK said...

I am way too lazy to knead bread to window pane stage...unless I'm willing to accept "angmoh bread". I'm waiting for the day to get a heavy duty stand mixer or a bread maker before I embark full throttle on bread making.

Happy Flour said...

This is indeed a nice square loaf. I only achieve this stage once. :)

Angie's Recipes said...

What a splendid milky pullman! You are quite a baker!

Elin Chia said...

Grace.. I wish I can make bread like you. I am so envious LOL! Great bread and homemade ones are so healthy :) Thanks for sharing...one day I promised I will succeed in making one :) Mine won't turn nice like yours. I can only make buns :(

Bakericious said...

Hi Grace, the loaf looks so square and neat, doubt I can ever achieve this stage, you are such a great baker. I am like Wendy, waiting for the day to get heavy duty mixer or bread maker since I am not gd at dough kneading :(.

ReeseKitchen said...

Wa, very nice loaf you have here. I still need alot of practice on breads and loafs. I kind of find it difficult when kneading a bread..;p

Passionate About Baking said...

Oh wow! You're got such a perfect square loaf of wholemeal! How long does it remain soft? Don't need to add water roux for you? You just have a pair of good hands that produce soft breads. That's all I can say. :)

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

I never bake a wholewheat bread, but i just bought 1kg of Wholemeal flour, going to bake my 1st wholemeal bread soon. You have a nice loaf of wholemeal bread.

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Seeing your lovely milky loaf makes me miss making bread so much! :)Love how you show us the 360 degrees angle view of the loaf, heehee. ;D Will try making bread soon. Thanks for the motivation. :)

Kitchen Corner said...

Hi Snooky doodle,
Thanks for dropping here! May you could start to try it out :)

Hi wendyywy,
Hi Jess,
Before I have a heavy duty mixer, I never think of making bread too! I find it hard to handle and sticky and messy :( Well, I wait for your new adventure when you get your mixer ok!

Hi Happy Flour,
I think we hardly always get the bread to this stage. Nevermind, it's just a homemade one :)

Hi Angie's recipe,
Thanks for your lovely words!

Hi Elin,
I'm sure you can do it. It's good to start from making bun first. Once you master it, it's time to get into loaf bread recipe. So, all the best in your bread making journey ya!

Hi Reese Kitchen,
Thanks! Practice makes perfect! I can't always get to this stage especially during my first year learning bread making journey. It's too many facts that we can't get a right bread. But I think it's ok, as long as it's edible.

Hi Jane,
This is not a water roux recipe which is the first recipe that I've from my mum recipe book. I find it's quite a good recipe for a new learner. I made this bread on Sunday and purposely left a piece until Wednesday (this morning) and it's still stay soft.

Hi Sonia,
This is not a very wholemeal bread but it's a good recipe for a new learner in making bread. So, wish you have a fantastic bread making journey!

Hi Bee,
Haha... it's just happened that I was quite free on Sunday and play with my camera with the video shooting :) It's quite fun :P

Pei-Lin said...

Grace, what more can I say? You're such an amazing baker! Gotta agree with you ... whatever we pursue, it's a journey for us to learn from trials and errors ... including bread making! Same goes to me too, I still have hiccups nowadays even though I've been making bread for 2 years ...

Happy Dragon Boat Festival btw!! Eat more dumplings, yea? 端午節快樂!!

kitchen flavours said...

Hi Kitchen Corner, I just came across your blog. You have such beautiful bread and cakes! You are really a natural baker!

Aida said...

Hi kitchen corner, how do you get such a square bread? You proof it with the lid and bake it with the lid is it? I try so many times but i can never get such square loaf :( nevertheless i got to agree with you that practice make perfect. Last time my bread use to be very dense and short but now my bread is getting more soft and fluffy. Just that I can't get such square bread.

Food For Tots said...

I really admire your talent and determination in making bread. Looks so beautiful and perfect! I'm so inspired and can't wait to make one now. ;)

Kitchen Corner said...

Hi Aida,
I guess the amount of main ingredients (flour) would be a reason why you can't get a square loaf. Some of the recipe had small amount of ingredients that not enough to fill up the entire bread tin at the end.

Hi Food For Tots,
Thanks you so much for your lovely words! You've been giving me lots of inspiration as well! Hope you will like this recipe! Happy Baking!

Janice said...

Hi there. Do you bake this bread with the lid or without the lid. During the roofing process do you proof it with the lid too? Sorry for asking so many question. Beside that, how do you store your bread? Kinda new to baking square loaf bread. Hope to hear from you soon.

Kitchen Corner said...

Hi Janice,
Yes, I baked the bread with the lid on as well as during the second proofing process. I normally put the bread into a plastic bag and store in an plastic container. I'm not sure it's right to do that but remember don't slice out the whole bread so that it stay fresh longer. Slice and eat whenever you want. Cheers!

Anonymous said...

hi grace,
i have been tried to baked bread but everytime it comes out with strong yeasty smell。 but if i am baking your red bean buns, it seems fine and delicious。 please advised。 thank you

Peabody said...

That's some seriously awesome looking bread.

Tummywise said...

Hi Grace, the more I go through your blog, the more inspired I am to bake.

I have some questions on the Pullman's tin I hope you can answer: Are they a standard size? If not, which size should I get which will go well with most recipes? Do you have any problems of the dough not filling out the Pullman's tin in any given recipe? Thanks!

Kitchen Corner said...

Hi Tummywise,
I don't think there are a standard pullman's tin as I bought two which the size had slightly different. As homemade, we hardly do exactly like those commercial one as there had their own standard recipe to fit their bread tin. Sometime, I do have problem that the dough not fill up the whole tin depends on which recipe I follow. For me, I would much look for the texture than a square loaf. Cheers!

ML said...

Hi Grace, did you use up all 240g milk? My dough was super wet n sticky after adding in all 240g milk. And I have to add a lot more flour to form a dough. Bread tasted awful as a result. Please advise. Thanks! MuiMui

ML said...

Hi Grace, did you use up all 240g milk? My dough was super wet n sticky after adding in all 240g milk. And I have to add a lot more flour to form a dough. Bread tasted awful as a result. Please advise. Thanks! MuiMui

Anonymous said...

my pullman pan is 30cm X 12cm. Can i use your recipe?