Scald milk

**Polymer@aol.com** · 23-08-2007, 09:37 PM posted to rec.food.sourdough

In a message dated 08/23/07 13:03:53, writes:

Your selected quote largely supports the "scald the milk" proponents.*
As the FDA says, most enzymes survive pasteurization intact.* Some
bakers feel that these enzymes interfere with gluten formation and the
rise of the dough.

Therefore, scalding the milk may do what pasteurization did not and
denature these enzymes.

You are probably right, so I looked at what others had to say about milk.

Peter Reinhart (Johnson and Wales University), The Bread Baker's Apprentice,
p265:
"You may substitute powdered milk (DMS) for liquid milk and vice versa, and
you may also substitution equal measure low-fat milk, buttermilk, or skim milk
for the whole milk. Making these substitutions will affect the final outcome
slightly in both flavor and texture, so try making the breads with the
variations and see which version you prefer (I tend to be a buttermilk guy.)"

He makes no mention of the need to scald the milk, nor does he in Crust and
Crumb.

Jeffrey Hamelman (King Arthur Flour), Bread A baker's Book of Techniques and
Recipes, p 59-60:
"When milk is used in yeast breads, it should be heated to about 190°F, a
temperature higher than pasteurization, in order to denature the serum protein.
Unheated the serum is active and has a weakening effect on the structure of
the gluten. Bakers often replace whole milk in formulas for convenience, and
second because the serum protein is deactivated in dry milk. Four ounces of
dry milk replace 1 quart of whole milk, with the liquid being made up with
water."
[I would correct this by saying dry milk replaces skim milk, at least the dry
milk I have been buying.]

P. J. Hamel, et al. The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion, p 531:
"MILK WARNING: In non yeasted baked goods, you can use whatever fresh milk
you choose. If you are baking with yeast read on.
"Fresh milk contains an enzyme that enables yeast to break starch into
simple sugars that yeast can digest. But there is enough of this enzyme
(protease) in flour itself to perform these functions admirably. When you add milk
with its own protease, you are faced with protease overload, which means the
yeast can work too quickly, rendering the gluten too mellow or slack. Here
are several ways to have the benefits of milk in a yeast dough without its
liabilities."
Later, the authors say, "not everyone agrees how to handle this. Some feel
that pasteurization disables them (enzymes); others feel that milk needs to be
scalded" from reading this it is apparent that they feel scalding is
preferred.

There you have the results of my quickie research. Like almost everything
else in the sourdough world, there is disagreement on this item also. I am
not convinced that the possible problem is in "serum protein" as Jeffery
Hamelman suggested, but rather it is an enzyme of the protease class, i. e. one that
attacks protein. Of course too much of this will diminish the effectiveness
of the gluten (a protein).

My conclusion is that, if milk is causing you a problem scald it, or use
powdered milk. I have not noticed a problem in my bread making, BUT I think I'll
either scald milk, or use powdered milk, or use dried whey. That is hard
for a "resident conservative curmudgeon" to admit.

Resident Conservative Curmudgeon

Ford

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