Sweetened Condensed Milk Bread (Bread Machine Dough)

A finely-textured loaf of soft white bread--mixed, kneaded, and proofed in a bread machine, but shaped by hand and baked in a conventional oven for the best of both worlds.

12 servings

Peanut butter and Jelly sandwich made with Sweetened Condensed Milk.

Prep Time 3

Cook Time 30

Total Time 3 30

Ingredients

⅞ cup (198 g) water (cool)
½ cup (156 g) sweetened condensed milk
1¼ teaspoon (1¼ teaspoon) salt
1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter (chopped)
3 cups (360 g) unbleached bread flour
1½ teaspoons (1½ teaspoons) instant or bread machine yeast

Instructions

Load the Ingredients: ⅞ cup water (cool) , ½ cup sweetened condensed milk, 1¼ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (chopped), 3 cups unbleached bread flour), and 1½ teaspoons instant or bread machine yeast to the bread pan in the order listed.
Select the DOUGH cycle and start.
First check: After a couple of minutes, check the dough to make sure it is coming together into a raggedy ball. If not, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time. If you see pancake batter instead of dough, you forgot some flour—just add it slowly until everything pulls together.
Second check: Check dough again after about 15 minutes. The dough should stick to the sides of the pan, then pull away cleanly. If too wet, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time. If too dry and the dough doesn't stick at all, add more liquid. See more details--Surprising Secret for Making Better Bread with a Bread Machine.
NOTE: Bread dough is influenced by flour, humidity, and even your kitchen temperature—so use this step to fine-tune the dough for your environment.
End of DOUGH cycle: The dough should be doubled. If not, give it more rise time until it is. Restart the DOUGH cycle and knead for 5 seconds to deflate the dough. Stop the machine and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, shape into a smooth ball, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.
Shape the dough: Roll dough into a rectangle (aproximately 9 x 11 inches), then roll up tightly and pinch seams and ends together.
Final Rise: Place seam-side down in a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Cover and let rise until the dough is just shy of doubling. Do not over-proof—this dough rises high and may collapse if left too long.
Tip: If your pan is smaller, don’t use all the dough. Use extra for rolls or try a 9x4x4 Pullman pan.
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
Bake at 375˚F (190˚C) for 35-45 minutes. The interior should reach 190˚F (88˚C). If necessary, place a foil tent over the bread halfway through baking to protect it from over-browning.
Cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan to a cooling rack. Let rest for 2 hours before slicing to avoid squashing your loaf.

Notes

Heads-up: Avoid doubling this recipe. Most bread machines cannot adequately knead more than 4½–5 cups of flour and may overheat. More details here.

Make Ahead: Dough can be refrigerated after the DOUGH cycle or shaped first and chilled overnight. Let rise until soft and puffy before baking.

Freezing Options:

Unbaked dough: Freeze after the DOUGH cycle or after shaping (before final rise). Defrost in the fridge overnight.
Baked bread: Double-wrap and freeze up to one month. Reheat gently.

Storage tips: Cool completely before storing. Keep unsliced in a plastic bag or bread box. Avoid refrigerating—bread molds faster in humid cold.

Alternative Mixing Methods:

Stand Mixer: Mix until moistened, then knead with a dough hook (speed 2–3) until smooth and elastic (5–10 minutes). Let rise, deflate, and shape as directed.
By Hand: Mix to a shaggy dough, knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic (10–20 minutes). Let rise, deflate, and shape as directed.

Yeast Notes: Active dry yeast may be substituted. Use about ¼ teaspoon more than instant yeast. Dissolving first is optional.

Nutritional Information