This is a Milk Loaf. Some people also called it Sweet Bread. Yes, if you have been following my recipe blog, you'll remember that I've just made it a few days ago.
The thing about the Milk Loaf previously was, the braiding work was not as perfect as I would like. That was my first time baking a Milk Loaf. In fact a first time for me to handle such a soft dough since the recipe calls for one and a quarter cup of warm milk. This time around I made this 'Kalács' (its Hungarian name ;) and made sure I try the braiding with more attention.
This Sweet Bread recipe is using one teaspoon of ground cinnamon spice and the key ingredients are brown sugar, milk and eggs. Each time I have this combination - cinnamon/brown sugar/eggs when I bake, our home will be filled with such wonderful fragrance. Like a bakery! I always joke with Zsolt (my husband) that "Not Airbnb" and he gets it immediately that means 'Homemade with Love'.
I was a little worried about the fresh yeast. This time around, I added just about 2 grams lesser. The reason is, I want the bread to smell less yeasty. The proofing was about 45 minutes as before, and I set the oven to be preheated to 175°C and this beautiful Michelin looking 'baby' was baked for only 30 minutes. The adjusted recipe as follows:
INGREDIENTS
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 10g fresh yeast
- 1 recipe - 1 egg
- 1 1/4 cups warm milk (45°C)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (and more for brushing) butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
PREPARATION
- Place flour, white sugar, salt, and yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer. In a bowl, whisk together egg, melted butter, warm milk, and vanilla extract; pour into the flour mixture. Add in also cinnamon, brown sugar. Using dough hook attachment, mix on low until the flour is moistened and a dough forms, then increase speed to medium and continue kneading until smooth and elastic, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Place dough into a greased bowl, cover, and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Punch down dough, turn out onto a floured work surface, and divide into 2 equal pieces. Roll each piece firmly into a log. Formed them like two overlapped 'V' and start braiding them in alternate order and pinch the ends inward 'hide the ends under' and now it should look like a braid. Place into a greased, loaf pan (in my case I just bake it on parchment paper on a baking sheet). Cover, and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 175 °C.
- Brush the tops of the loaf with melted butter, then bake in preheated oven until loaf is golden brown, and sound hollow when tapped, about 30 minutes.
- Despite the first attempt that the braiding didn't really turn up after proofing, I still don't give up. I made it again.
