Milk Loaf

As SMALL FAN and Baby FAN both loves bread, decided to try my hand at making bread for them. Thought it would be healthier and fresher with no preservatives etc.

Found the recipe and follow the instructions from Happy Home Baking.

Milk Loaf (original recipe from here)

• 143g fresh milk (I used about 140 g of marigold fullcream milk)
• 35g egg (I use half an egg)
  
• 25g caster sugar
• 5g salt
• 250g bread flour (I used unbleached white flour)
• 4g Instant yeast (I put about 1 teaspoon)
  
• 38g butter (unsalted)

How I did it:

1. Mixed flour, salt, sugar and yeast together. Form a well in the flour and pour milk and egg into it, then knead it into a dough.
   
2. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until smooth. Then knead the butter into the dough.
3. Knead the dough for about 20 minutes until the dough is smooth and not sticky.
   
4. Remove dough from the bread pan, let it proof in room temperature in a mixing bowl, covered with cling wrap. Let proof for 1 to 2 hours.
5. Remove dough and punch out the gas. Divide dough into 3 equal portion. Roll and shape into balls. Let the doughs rest and relax for 15 mins. (this 'relaxing' time is needed so that the dough will be easier to roll out and shaped).
6. On a lightly floured surface, flatten one dough and roll out into a longish shape. Roll up the dough swiss-roll style. Do the same for the two remaining doughs.
7. Flatten the rolled-up dough and roll out again into a long rectangular shape. Roll up tightly, and make as many rolls you can, swiss-roll style for the second time. Do the same for the two remaining doughs.
8. Place doughs in lightly greased bread tin/pan. Let the doughs proof for the second time, until it fills up 80% of the tin/pan. Cover with cling wrap.
9. Bake at pre-heated oven at 180 ~ 190 deg C for 30 to 35mins. (I set mine to 200 deg C as my oven temperature is always on the low side.)
10. Unmould the bread immediately when removed from the oven. Let cool completely before slicing.

Ok, the bread turns out quite nice although I think it's a little too dense and the next day, I need to steam it as it gets quite hard. I wonder if it's because of the flour as I don't have bread flour, I substituted it with unbleached white flour or is it that I did not knead enough or I didn't proof it long enough??? But it's a good try, maybe I will try again next time using bread flour as per the original recipe.