almond milk bread

over the years i have made many loaves of bread, this almond milk bread is still one of our favorites.

i have been making this loaf for so long, i cannot even remember where my original recipe came from. but each time i bake it, i tweak this and that.

with shelter in place dragging on. and on. and on, so has our baking. even with the heat, bread gets baked weekly. so i took the importunity to tweak some more, and finally have a loaf  that i don’t think needs any more tinkering.

this loaf is made with almond milk, but with the butter is not dairy free. you could try using a non-dairy butter alternate, but i have not done so myself.

is statts with a roux, which creates a soft, fluffy loaf.

this is then added to the dough ingredients. i prefer to knead by hand but if you have a mixer with a dough hook, go for it.

after a rise,

the dough is formed into 4 equal logs and placed side by side in a loaf pan.

after another quick rise,

the loaf is brushed with almond milk (or you can use an egg wash) and then baked until golden brown.

Print Recipe

Yield: 1 loaf

almond milk bread

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours

Ingredients:

for the  tangzhong

• 6 Tbsp plain almond milk
• 2 Tbsp flour

dough

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp instant yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup plain almond milk
•  4 Tbsp melted butter
• 1 egg

Directions:

• begin by making the tangzhong (roux) : whisk flour and milk in a small saucepan until smooth, cook over low heat, whisking constantly until thick (about 5 minutes) cool to lukewarm
• once cooled,  mix the roux  with the remaining bread ingredients (can be mixed by hand or with a stand mixer)  then knead until you have a smooth dough - could take 10 minutes if kneading by hand
• cover and let rise until puffy - about 60 minutes in a warm kitchen
• divide the dough into 4 even pieces, and flatten each into a rectangle
• fold each in thirds, like you are folding a letter, flatten again, and then beginning with the short side roll into a log
• place logs seam side down in a lightly greased standard loaf pan
• cover loosely, and allow to rise 30-40 minutes
• preheat oven to 350°
• bush loaf with almond milk and bake 30-35 minutes until golden brown
• cool in pan 15 minutes, then complete cooling on rack

i used to divide the dough into 3, but by making the “logs” smaller, this loaf is fully cooked in the center without burning on the top.

cooled loaf can be wrapped and kept at room temperature for up to a week.
enjoy!