Thursday, January 17, 2008

Sweetened condensed milk braided bread with poppy seeds

Sweetened condensed milk braided bread with poppy seeds

Before I tell you all about this bread, I would like to introduce Catherine, from the food blog Munchie Musings – she’s my new blog buddy and we were introduced to each other by the lovely Kristen and her Adopt a Blogger campaign.
I invite you all to visit Catherine’s blog and I would also like to thank Kristen for such a nice initiative!

adopt a blogger

I made this braided bread months ago but was not sure if I should post it or not – the bread was huge and I couldn’t get good photos of it. Besides that, the bread was very tender and tasted great, but the flavor of sweetened condensed milk was nowhere near it.
When I read at Nora’s blog that the lovely Eva was hosting Baking Day #06, I changed my mind: I love the shape of this bread and also the effect the poppy seeds give to it.

I got the recipe from Carlota’s website – Carla Pernambuco’s restaurant. I had dinner there on my birthday last year and absolutely loved it. I’m a great fan of her work and this is the second time I make one of her recipes – the first was the wonderful guava soufflé with catupiry sauce.

I prepared the bread a bit differently than it was on the website because I thought the instructions weren’t clear enough; there are eggs on the ingredient list but no mention of them on the making. I used my Kitchen Aid to make the dough but it’s not mandatory: you can blend the liquid ingredients+butter+salt and then add the flour using a wooden spoon (like the original recipe suggests).

Sweetened condensed milk braided bread with poppy seeds

Sweetened condensed milk braided bread with poppy seeds

1 can (395g) sweetened condensed milk
1 can warm water (use the condensed milk can to measure it)
100g unsalted butter, softened
5 eggs
50g fresh yeast
1 tablespoon salt
1kg all purpose flour
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten, to brush the bread
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Place the yeast and the water in the bowl of a stand mixer; mix well to dissolve the yeast.
Add the sweetened condensed milk, salt and butter and, using the paddle attachment, beat well. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Switch to the hook attachment and, beating in slow speed, add the flour, gradually. Once you added all the flour, beat until you get a smooth dough. Cover with cling film or plastic wrap and set aside - let the dough rise until almost doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface. Knead a few time and form a ball; divide dough in 4 equal parts and make 40cm (15in) ropes with each part. Place the ropes on a very large greased baking sheet (mine was 40x26cm) and braid them. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 160ºC/320ºF; beat the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water and brush the bread with it. Sprinkle the poppy seeds over the bread and bake for 30-40 minutes or until beautifully golden and cooked through – if it starts browning too fast, cover it loosely with foil.

Serves 10-12

63 comments:

Sara said...

OH! This just looks fantastic. We had a bakery near my house years ago that used to make a braided poppy bread just like this. It was so fluffy and heavenly, I'm tempted to give this version a try!

Peter M said...

How unique...condensed milk in bread!

My mom usually braids bread too, so homey.

Jaime said...

what a neat idea to put condensed milk in bread! your loaf turned out beautifully!

Anonymous said...

Your bread looks fantastic Patricia! I haven't been able to master braider bread, but I will certainly give your recipe a try once I'm feeling better! Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Your bread looks fantastic Patricia! I haven't been able to master braider bread, but I will certainly give your recipe a try once I'm feeling better! Thanks!

Evelin said...

a bread with condensed milk? wow, patricia, this sounds like a real treat!:)

I'm happy you've joined the adoption agency too. a whole lot of nice people out there!:)

Anonymous said...

Condensed milk is what all bread has been missing.
Great job.

Susan from Food Blogga said...

This must be a sign that I'm supposed to buy poppy seeds. This is the third poppy seed recipe I've come across today, and this bread is calling my name! It looks sensational, Patricia!

Brilynn said...

It looks amazing!

I'm making a braided challah loaf tomorrow, I hope it turns out half as good!

Anonymous said...

Patricia,
You are such a great "adopter" :)

This bread looks really good. I have never made a braided loaf, but I would love to try. I think you may have just given me the inspiration :)

Manggy said...

Patricia, surely you are being too hard on yourself! That bread looks awesome! (second pic is a little blue, though :)
If it's not close enough to the decadent taste of condensed milk, you can always do as we do and use condensed milk as filling!

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

There is something irresistible about a loaf of braided bread. It just makes you want to pull it apart! I don't think I've ever heard of condensed milk in bread before. I must try this!!

Katia Mangham said...

The bread looks so delicious! I love condensed milk...I could eat it with a spoon right out of the can! I will give this a try soon.

Peabody said...

Beautiful bread...and I stopped by and commented on your adopt a blogger.

KJ said...

Is there anything you cannot do with condensed milk? It is a true wonderfood.

Making bread with it is such an interesting idea. I hope to try your recipe soon.

Anonymous said...

What beautiful bread!

Anonymous said...

Patricia, the bread looks absolutely divine. Nice work!

Anonymous said...

Sweetened condensed milk, huh? I'm intrigued!

Anonymous said...

Wow, that is one impressive loaf! Makes me wish I had time to participate in this event, too...!

Coffee and Vanilla said...

Sounds delicious Patricia :)
I love this kind of bread... we call it Halka in Polish and also in the Caribbean this type of bread is popular as Hard Dough Plait...
I have never tried to make it myself yet... I'm not brave enough...

Margot

Anonymous said...

Beautiful!
I think I just found my Sunday morning bread. Thanks again Patricia!

Truffle said...

So professional and so delicious! Better than what you'd find in a bakery I think! Simply beautiful Patricia.

Emily said...

Aren't poppy seeds lovely? I find them very inspiring. I might make this, or I might do something lemon/poppyseed.

Anonymous said...

This is the first time I see sweetened condensed milk in bread, interesting! Is it the bread very sweet? What would you eat it with?

Gattina Cheung said...

Pat, I really love this recipe... sweet, milky and tender!
I know what you mean, it is difficult to get a good shot to a huge bread or food at our regular home-setting facilities. Even so, I still see your bread turn out superb!

Meeta K. Wolff said...

Bread with condensed milk - what a sweet and tender crumb. Awesome idea! Pat this rocks!

Anonymous said...

Patricia, this looks and sounds like a completely lovely bread. I've been looking at braids and poppy seeds, and this really hit the spot. That last photo is really excellent! I wouldn't have thought of a bread made with sweetened condensed milk. Intriguing!

mmcdonald said...

I just made this bread today. It's delicious and gigantic. I didn't expect it to be so large. Simply amazing.

Cakespy said...

Oh lord this looks great! It looks so nice and filling. I've never heard of a bread with condensed milk before, but I am liking it!

Helene said...

And I was just wondering what to do with this extra can of sweetened condensed milk I had! Brilliant!! Your braid is gorgeous!

LyB said...

I love the contrasts between the light and dark in this bread, really beautiful!

Eva said...

What a wonderful entry, Patricia! To keep on braiding I've just made a very similar poppy seed loaf..;-) Thanks for participating!

I've also made pao de leite condensado once (hopefully no spelling mistakes...) and there was only a slight sweetness to detect but the condensed milk made for a wonderful tender texture.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43661388@N00/2041880477/in/set-72157600415666718/

Patricia Scarpin said...

Sara, I love poppy seeds and don't use them as much as I'd like to. I'm glad you like the bread!

Peter, it looks good, doesn't it?

Mrs. Presley, thank you, darling!

Hey, sweetie! I know that you'll be making loads of delicious things when you're 100% OK again.

Evelin, thank you!
You are right - there are many new people to meet, that's great!

Graeme, thank you, my friend.

Susan, go ahead and buy them, darling! :)

Bri, I want to see that challah of yours, I know it will be fantastic.

Kristen, you are so generous coming up with this idea, my dear friend.

Mark, I didn't like the second photo too much either. :S
we used to spread sweetened condensed milk over regular bread as kids... It was wonderful. And the best part was never having to care about calories! :)

Lydia, you definitely should. :)

Katia, tks for stopping by! I used to do that a lot, too, before all the extra pounds came along. :S

Pea, you are so sweet, my friend. Thank you for that.

KJ, it goes well on anything, you are so right!

Carrie, thank you!!

Syrie, tks, sweetie!

Michelle, it's good!

Hannah, I'm sure you'd come up with something wonderful.

Margot, really? That's great info - and I love the names.

Dayna, thank you!

Truffle, that's quite a compliment, thank you!!

Emiline, I love them too! Gotta start using them more in my cooking/baking.

Linda, it's not very sweet. I loved it with raspberry jam!

Gattina, you are far too kind, my dear friend!

Meeta, thank you! I'm glad you like it!

Kelly, Brazilians add sweetened condensed milk to pretty much everything. :)

Meghan, thank you for the info!

Cakespy, we are crazy for it over here. :)

Helen, thank you, dear!!!

LyB, it was pretty tender.

Eva, your bread looks divine. So golden and soft... I almost bit the screen. :)

thecoffeesnob said...

I love the shape of this bread. It looks amazing- wouldn't last a day with me :)

Anonymous said...

Beautiful bread! It looks very delicious.

I've never made bread (well, only with a breadmaker...hehe) and breadmaking has always fascinated me. One day...one day, I'll tackle that in the kitchen. Thanks for the inspiration!

Bea said...

Yum, it looks delicious Patricia.

Anonymous said...

That's one good looking loaf :)

BetsyDrake said...

That sounds great! Now I know what to do with leftover condensed milk!

sunita said...

Patricia, now , that is a seriously good looking bread.

test it comm said...

Nice looking bread! It is nice and golden brown and it looks light and flaky.

Gretchen Noelle said...

How interesting to use sweetened condensed milk in bread. I will have to try that! Thanks for a great idea!

Oh for the love of food! said...

Patricia, this is one of the most beautiful loaves of bread I've seen on the blogosphere and to think you were reluctant to post it! tsk! tsk! HA!HA!
This bread looks so cottony soft that I just want to pull it apart right now and slather a lashing of salted butter on it... drizzle a little condensed milk, and let it say 'hello' to my tummy! I'm being silly today but this loaf is just calling to me, Patricia! I love the addition of the condensed milk in the recipe too!

Patricia Scarpin said...

Hi, darling! It was a huge loaf, I shared it with my mother in law, my sister in law... :)

Joy, thank you! I'm hooked on yeast - and I can say that you might become one too. :)

Bea, thank you!

Maryann, thank you!

Betsy, I'm glad you like it! Tks!

Sunita, it was huge, my friend. HUGE. :)

Kevin, and the poppy seeds are so lovely, aren't they?

Gretchen, thank you for your lovely comment, sweetie!

Carol, you are far too kind, my dear friend. Thank you for your comment - it's wonderful to know you like it that much!

Anonymous said...

It look awesome. yummy

eatme_delicious said...

Beautiful bread! Inspires me to attempt making something like that. :) Too bad it didn't taste like condensed milk at all though.

Deborah said...

This looks and sounds amazing!!

Anonymous said...

I can perfectly imagine how good this is! Wonderful!

rhid said...

This looks amazing - crisp and moist. My kinda bread!

Anonymous said...

Yum... I have got to try this. I love sweet breads.

Sabra said...

Your photos are great - can't believe you hesitated. But what does the sweetened milk do? Does it make it very sweet or moist or both?

Patricia Scarpin said...

Cooking Ninja, tks!

Hi, darling! You can always pour some more over the bread. ;)

Deb, thank you!

Zen Chef, thank you!

Rhid, tks for stopping by!

Julie, me too! :)

Skrockdile, I'm so glad you like it, tks! It's very tender but not too overly sweet.

zorra said...

Yummie, I would like to have a slice or two of this bread for breakfast, right now!

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

Patricia this is positively gorgeous! Can't taste the milk but I'm sure it really lends a lot to the texture and tenderness of this as well as the browning! It's beautiful. I love baking bread and am trying to experiment with cutting recipes down so I don't end up with more than the two of us can eat in 2 days.

Anonymous said...

i'm egg bread's biggest fan. no joke.

Nora B. said...

Patricia,
I made this bread and it is soooooo good! wow! I love condensed milk, and to have it in the bread is heaven... thanks for sharing the recipe :-)

xxnora

Marianna said...

Condensed milk in bread? That must be heavenly! I need to try this! Btw it is still morning on my side of the world and lunch is no where near... but my stomach is grumbling like mad! I have to eat well before I look at your blog!

Unknown said...

trying bread today 29 June, 2009...first impressions out of the mixer...very wet dough...took almost 4 extra cups of flour...the original order for 1 kg was not nearly enough...this looks to me like a typical steak house sweet yeast dough...i am cooking them in cast iron pans...and going to score cut them for rolls instead of braid...should be similar outcome to the braids though...i will update when out of the oven...btw...i am a professional chef...you will find no truer or better reviewer...!!!

Anonymous said...

It is extremely interesting for me to read that blog. Thanks for it. I like such topics and everything that is connected to this matter. I definitely want to read a bit more on that blog soon.

Anonymous said...

I made the bread today... and don't know if I have enough room in the freezer!
The bread is delicious, although I used regular milk, because I'm not too keen on sugar. And forgot about the salt... Will never do again.
But next time I am definitely making it from half the ingredients, 'cause this amount is intimidating.


Aleksnadra

Patricia Scarpin said...

Hi Aleksandra!
That recipe yields a lot, it's true! I'm glad to hear you liked the recipe anyway - tks for letting me know!

Anonymous said...

thisis now my favorite bread to make. I was searching for receipes when i got my new mixer and tried this out. I even eat the crust (which i never do)... it is amazeing toasted with a hint of butter. I also replaced a few cups of the flour with whole wheat flour and added some honey to the water, becuase the dough was so huge i took some sections and let them raise in a loaf pan and then braided the rest. My dad took most of the loaf and has been eating it for sandwhiches this week. He ususaly mutters about the anything i make that takes more time than meatloaf as pretentios,,, but even HE loved this and asked for more.

Anonymous said...

Hi Patricia,

Thank you very much for sharing so many wonderful recipes. I've made lots and lots of delicious sweet treats from this website.

I'm looking forward to baking this bread as I'm fond of both sweetened condensed milk and poppy seeds. By fresh yeast, do you mean cake yeast or do you mean dried yeast that hasn't gone flat?

Thanks again.

Yours,

Ellen

Patricia Scarpin said...

Dear Ellen, it's fresh yeast used for bread baking - I guess you could replace it with 16g dried yeast.

Thank you for your lovely comment!
xx

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