Sweet Milk Bread (SSL)

My quest for a delicious loaf of sweet bread never stops at one 🍞. The main differences of this recipe were the use of sweet stiff levain; a small amount of beaten egg; and 10g less of butter from my usual bread recipes. The bread has the right sweetness, right texture, and 10g less fat 😃😃

This is a versatile recipe as it can be baked into one loaf, or into 10 ~ 12 small buns 😍😍

Yield: one loaf of bread

Pan size: 21x13x10 cm Jamie Oliver 1.5L bread pan

Raw dough weight: 595g

Baking temperature: Preheat oven to 190℃, lower rack, bake at 180℃ for 15 minutes, reduce to 170℃ for 15 minutes, turn off oven and continue to bake for 3 minutes. 

Sweet Stiff Levain SSL (120 ~ 125g)

Ingredients

30g water

13g raw sugar

20~22g natural yeast, 100% hydration

60g superior bread flour/bread flour

- Add water, raw sugar and natural yeast in a small bowl. Stir to mix well.

- Add in the bread flour, and stir in one direction till it is pulled to form a dough.

- Store the sweet stiff levain in a tall container for about 6 hours, or till it triples in size.

Ready to use 😍

Sweet Milk Bread Dough

Ingredients

A.

200g superior bread flour/bread flour

30g superfine wholegrain flour/plain flour

30g raw sugar/fine sugar

1g instant dry yeast

B

120~125g sweet stiff levain from above

C

110g low fat milk

20g whipping cream

20g beaten egg

35g cold water

D

3g low-sodium salt

E

20g unsalted butter

Egg wash

Some beaten egg as egg wash before baking

Directions

Knead dough into window pane using your preferred method

1. Mix all ingredient A in a big mixing bowl.

2. Add ingredient B into the mixing bowl. Use your fingers to pull the SSL into small pieces.

3. Gradually add in Ingredient C, mix in one direction, till the dough pull away from the side of the mixing bowl, and form into a ball. Cover and let the dough rest for about 15 minutes.

4. Use a hand mixer fitted with a pair of dough hooks, and knead the dough till smoother. Add in Ingredient D,

 followed by Ingredient E. Knead the dough till smoother.

Performance about 200 sets of "slapping and folding" till reaching window pane.

5. Shape the dough into a ball and keep it in a plastic bag coated with a thin layer of oil. Tie a loose knot, keep in a second plastic bag, and put in a covered bowl. Store in the fridge to undergo cold fermentation for about 14 to 16 hours, or overnight.

6. Remove the outer plastic bag, invert the dough and let it thaw at room temperature for about 60 to 90 minutes.

7. Remove the plastic bag and turn out the dough onto a floured work top. Deflate the dough, divide it into 3 portions, and shape them into 3 balls.

Let the dough rest for about 15 minutes.

8. Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 5 to 8mm.

Flip over, and turn the dough 90°, roll the dough into a uniform thickness.

Fold in the two wings towards the center.

Roll the dough flat to get an even thickness.

Roll up the dough,

into a Swiss roll shape.

9. Lower the shaped dough into a bread pan coated with butter or homemade non-stick baking spread.

Cover the pan with a tea cloth, and let it proof for about 60 to 90 minutes.

Or till the dough reaches about 4/5 height of the pan.

10. Start to preheat oven to 190℃ for about 10 minutes.

While waiting, apply some beaten egg over the top of the dough.

11. Bake in a preheated oven at middle rack. Reduce the temperature to 180℃ after closing the oven door. Bake for about 15 minutes, before further reduce the temperature to 170℃ and bake for about 15 minutes. Turn off the heating, and let the bread bake for a further 3 minutes, or till golden.

12. Remove the bread from the hot pan immediately after leaving the oven.

13. Cut the bread after it has completely cooled down. Enjoy 😋😋🍞