Condensed Milk Bread

My obsession with breads seem to have no end 🙂 You might be surprised that there might be around 2 dozen breads in my to-do list for the very near future. Forget about all those I want to try in my life time. I had seen this Japanese style condensed milk bread long ago. Since then had secretly desired to try it out at home. But the fear that there might not be any takers for sweet breads at home, never gave me the confidence to try it till now. So, I cajoled Neha and requested

her to try it once. She agreed and I was all set to make it. So, I made some condensed milk at home and kept everything ready to make it for the evening snack. You can click here on how to make condensed milk at home using full cream milk or here for an easy version of condensed milk using milk powder.

It’s actually a simple recipe. Just make the usual bread dough with flours of your choice. Add some condensed milk in your dough too. Proof it and once it doubles, roll out into a rectangle and apply a mixture of melted butter and condensed milk on top. Cut it into pieces, (thickness, size, shape of your choice) and arrange it in an angel cake pan or a Bundt pan or a loaf tin or any round cake tin. Alternatively, you can roll each piece like you do for a cinnamon roll or Cinnabon and then arrange it in a greased cake tin. Proof again and bake. You may decorate with slivers of almonds and cherries or simply dust it with icing sugar. Its very mildly sweet and has a nice milky-buttery flavour.

Please do try and share your experiences with me. I am sure your kids would enjoy it.

Ingredients:

For the bread:

• Whole wheat flour 100 gm
• All purpose flour 100 gm
• Salt to taste
• Sugar 1 tbsp
• Instant yeast 1/2 tsp
• Condensed milk 2 tbsp
• Olive oil 1-2 tbdp
• Milk 100 ml
• Lukewarm water as required

For the filling:

• Condensed milk 2 tbsp
• Butter 1 tbsp

For the topping:

• Almond slivers
• Candied cherries

Method:

To make the dough:

• Mix the flours, salt, sugar and instant yeast in a big mixing bowl.

• Add condensed milk to it.

• Now add the milk and mix well. Add lukewarm water slowly and knead using the stretch and fold method.
• Apply some oil and knead till the dough is soft and elastic.
• Transfer the dough onto a well oiled bowl and cover the bowl with a wet towel.

• Allow the dough to double in size.
• While the dough is fermenting, prepare the filling.

To make the filling:

• Mix the condensed milk and butter and keep it aside. You may refrigerate it for few minutes.

To assemble and bake:

• After the dough had doubled in size, punch out the gases and knead for a minute.

• Roll the dough into a rectangle.

• Apply the filling on the rolled rectangle as shown below.

• Cut the rectangles into 1 inch wide strips.

• Now cut each strip into 2-3 inch long pieces.

• Now grease an eight inch round cake tin with some butter.
• Stack 3-4 pieces of the cut strips above each other and arrange it in the cake tin.

• Repeat with the remaining pieces.
• Now allow this to proof again till it looks puffy and doubled.
• Preheat the oven at around 180-200 degree Celsius for atleast 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle some almond slivers on top.

• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top looks golden.

• Remove from oven and wait for 3-4 minutes and then invert onto a serving plate.
• Decorate with some cherry pieces and serve it warm 🙂

Notes:

• If you have a sweet tooth, you may increase the amount of sugar in the flour by a tablespoon or so.
• Also you can sprinkle some icing sugar on top of the bread as soon as you take it out of the oven.
• After applying the filling on the rolled dough, if you are left out with some more of the butter-condensed milk mixture, apply it on top of the pieces after you arrange it in the cake tin.
• Traditionally as with most breads, this is made with all purpose flour. I have added whole wheat flour. You can try with any combination of flour.