should milk be scalded before using in bread dough?

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subfuscpersona on 14 Apr 2007 at 17:22

Many recipes for loaf bread that use milk advise that the milk must first be scalded (brought just to the boil). (Then, of course, you have to wait for the milk to cool.) I remember reading an explanation that something in the milk can inhibit yeast growth and the heat somehow corrects this.

Tell me, gurus, is it really necessary to scald the milk? If yes, why? If no, why not (can it just be a holdover from earlier times that has been mindlessly perpetuated)?

PS - I love long, involved scientific explanations, so please feel free to elaborate

Thanks in advance... 

 

 

To my knowledge, the scalding requirement was before milk was widely pasturized. Now, there is no need to scald.

I'm no science person, so I can't give any explanations as to why unpasturized milk hurts yeast, but I think it has to do with a strain of bacteria?

Anyways, I still heat my milk a bit so it doesn't go into the dough cold and affect rising times.

I think it was Alton Brown that said the scalding instructions are just a carryover from before milk was pasturised (can't remember which episode, forgive me). I don't know if it really makes a difference in the crumb of bread, but if you think it does I'd suggest using the microwave to heat it up since there's no microbes to worry about killing inside the milk. If nothing else, I'd say nuke the milk so that the cold doesn't inhibit proofing. My latest bread experiment (baps) takes an extra hour to rise due to cold milk because I forgot to warm it before making the dough.

[quote] I'd suggest using the microwave to heat [milk] up since there's no microbes to worry about killing inside the milk.[/quote]

...and have no intention of buying one.

thanks for the suggestion though it is useless for me.

Milk should be heated to around 190F if used in yeast breads.  The reason for this is that, if unheated, the serum protein present has a weakening effect on the gluten structure.  Heating milk denatures this protein.  For convenience, dried milk is often used because the serum protein is deactivated.  A 1/4 lb of dry milk equals 4 cups of whole milk, with the liquid being made up with water.