Grandma’s Soft Sweet Milk Loaf
This recipe uses the classic method of enriching the dough with milk and eggs for an incredibly soft and pillowy texture.
⏰ Quick Glance
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
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Proofing Time: 1.5–2 hours (total)
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Bake Time: 25–30 minutes
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Yields: 1 loaf
🛒 Ingredients
| Category | Ingredient | Quantity | Notes |
| Dough | Warm Milk | 320 ml (approx. 1 ⅓ cup) | Warmed to $105^{\circ} \text{F}-115^{\circ} \text{F}$ ($40^{\circ}\text{C}-46^{\circ}\text{C}$). |
| Egg | 1 large | ||
| Granulated Sugar | 30 g (2 tbsp) | Plus a pinch for the yeast. | |
| Dry Active Yeast | 5 g (½ tbsp) | ||
| Wheat Flour (All-Purpose) | 490 g (approx. 3.5 cups) | Plus extra for dusting. | |
| Salt | 1 tsp | ||
| Softened Butter | 50 g (3.5 tbsp) | Room temperature. | |
| Egg Wash & Topping | Egg Yolk | 1 | Mixed with a splash of milk for the wash. |
| Sesame Seeds | 1 tbsp | For sprinkling on top. |
👩🍳 Instructions
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Activate Yeast (5 minutes): In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm milk (ensure it is not too hot), sugar (2 tbsp), and dry yeast. Stir lightly and let it sit for 5–10 minutes until it becomes foamy.
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Make Dough: Add the egg, remaining salt, and about half of the wheat flour to the yeast mixture. Mix until just combined.
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Knead: Gradually add the remaining flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead for about 5–7 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
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Add Butter: Add the softened butter and continue kneading for another 5 minutes until the butter is fully incorporated and the dough is soft and slightly sticky, but manageable.
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First Rise (Bulk Fermentation): Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning it once to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until it has doubled in size.
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Shape the Loaf: Gently punch down the dough to release the air. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces (for the four rolls seen in the image).
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Take each piece and flatten it into a rough rectangle.
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Roll the rectangle up tightly into a log shape.
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Place the four rolls side-by-side in a standard $9 \times 5$ inch loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
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Second Rise (Proofing): Cover the pan and let the rolls rise for another 30–45 minutes, or until they look puffy and have nearly doubled in size again.
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Bake Prep: Preheat your oven to $350^{\circ}\text{F}$ ($175^{\circ}\text{C}$). Brush the top of the risen dough with the egg yolk mixed with milk, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
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Bake: Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the loaf is deeply golden brown on top (as seen in the image).
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Cool: Remove the loaf from the pan immediately and let it cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Enjoy this soft, delicious loaf!