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Is scalding milk a necessary
step when making yeast bread?
Q: In reference to your recipe, "Batter Bread",
one of the ingredients listed is 1 1/2 cups warm milk. Not scalded
and cooled to
warm, but just warm. Unless they've changed and improved yeast
to the point that it's immune to the enzymes in milk, there are
going to be some disappointed, inexperienced cooks. On the other
hand, maybe the
super-pasteurization process they use on milk today takes care
of this
problem.
A: In days past, scalding milk served three purposes:
it killed harmful bacteria that could spoil the food being prepared,
it destroyed enzymes that could affect the way the milk performs
in the recipe, and it raised the temperature of the milk to speed
up results. With modern pasteurization, the bacteria and enzymes
are already destroyed, so scalding is no longer necessary to
accomplish those goals, although heating the milk does help to
encourage the growth of yeast in breads.
Of course, if one is using raw milk, then scalding would be a
necessary step in bread making.
Enjoy the recipes,
Hope Pryor, Owner and Publisher
of CooksRecipes.com.
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Hope Pryor is the
owner and publisher of CooksRecipes.com and editor of its enewsletter,
The Daily Recipe. She has had several years of schooling in the
home arts and cooking and has over 30+ years of hands-on experience
in her own kitchen mastering her cooking skills which earned
her a reputation as an excellent and knowledgeable cook among
family, friends and associates. |
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