why do bakeries put milk in their bread recipes!!

[eskimomama]

Just wanted to have a little rant...
My DD has a CMP allergy and I'm breastfeeding, therefore not eating any dairy whatsoever... and I just found out that a lot of bakeries in the UK put bl**dy milk in the majority of their bread recipes! even baguettes!

It doesn't make any sense! Bread isn't supposed to contain milk, especially French types I was going for to be on the safe side... argh!
I really wouldn't have guessed until DD's eczema got really bad again, and I double checked at the bakery... and they didn't have any bread they could guarantee without milk...

Was listening to The Food Program (last week?) and apparently soya is also a filler in meats . An owner of a kebab shop said it's quite common for processed meats and is how they control costs. Shocking.

I started making the easiest quickest bread in the world when my DD started eating solid foods... It's a version of the Doris Grant loaf (no kneading required, so super-fast and easy!). It's quite a 'worthy' wholemeal loaf, but that's mostly what we like eating, and is good for getting whole grains in to our DD. A quick look at the internet will give you a few versions of the Grant loaf, but the one we use is as follows:

450g Organic strong wholemeal bread flour
1 tsp brown sugar
½ sachet easy-blend or easy-bake yeast
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil

In a large mixing bowel mix the flour with the sugar, yeast and 2 tsp salt. Make a well in the centre and pop the oil and about 500 mls of hand-hot water to make a loose, sticky dough. Pour/scrape the dough into a greased & floured 2lb loaf tin. Sprinkle the top with a little flour or seeds.
Lay some oiled clingfilm LOOSELY over the top and leave in a warm place until the dough has risen to the top of the tin.
Preheat the oven to 220C, and bake for half an hour. Slip out of the tin and check that the base sounds hollow when tapped (if not, give it another 5-10 minutes). Cool on a rack. We add sunflower, pumpkin and linseeds too sometimes for variety.

Ooo that sounds lovely, will definitely give that a try!

hi there I completely appreciate your woes - I was in the same boat - bloody milk appears in everything - and soya flour for that matter!

Yes I do make my own bread when I can but then I do really like cooking....

But, more often than not, I use normal shop bought bread - yes it does exist!!!

Tesco finest oatmeal batch and Tesco multigrain batch neither contain milk or soya flour.

result! I hope this helps.

sorry, one more thing..

for a treat, I can also confirm Tesco gingerbread in the fresh cakes aisle also is dairy and soya free - and is delicious!

And, one last thing, pitta breads of the wholemeal variety tend to have less ingrefients in - I am pretty sure Morrisons wholemeal pittas have nothing in but wholemeal flour and yeast.

right, I think thats it!!

Oh, and if you are desperately missing cream, Oatly 'cream' is very nice on crumbles and the like

Making bread with a ready made (non dairy obviously!) mix is DEAD easy, takes no time at all and doesn't need a breadmaker (or a big kitchen) I promise! But even given all of the above, I still only manage to do it about once every 8 weeks so I entirely sympathise!