Everybody loves a bit of baking, whether you’re cooking muffins for your family on the weekend or baking cakes for your cafe. One ingredient that you come across in many recipes is milk. But that’s normally it, it will just say milk. You’ll often not hesitate and use whatever one you have in the fridge, but have you ever stopped to consider the milk you use in baking matters? There are so many varieties of milk, so surely they must have different effects on a recipe.
Read on to find out more about choosing the right milk for baking.
Why Milk Matters
When you’re baking something, there are ingredients that help give it structure, such as flour and egg whites. There are also ingredients that help it look good, such as sugar and egg yolks. Milk matters as it contributes to both structure and texture, providing protein that benefits the bake. This is why it is important to consider the milk you’re using when you bake something.
Fat Content
The main difference between different types of milk is the fat content that they have. Skimmed milk usually has around 0.2% fat, while semi-skimmed will have around 2% and whole milk will have about 4%. You can expect slightly different contents from different brands. While this may not seem that much, it can have a significant impact on bakes.
The more fat you have in milk, the more the texture of the bake will change. You want bakes to be moist, so this means you should choose milk with a higher fat content to achieve this. Therefore the best milk to use during baking is in most cases whole milk.
But what about milk alternatives? If you’re vegan, lactose intolerant or simply don’t drink milk, the best non-dairy milk to use in baking is soy milk. This has the most protein of milk alternatives, so will provide the closest result as cooking with cow milk.
Almond milk is also great, but you may find bakes cook a little faster due to the high water content. Oat milk can be alright, but there could be a more gummy texture to your bakes. One non-dairy milk you shouldn’t use in baking is rice milk, as the moisture content is way too high for reliable baking.
Dairy Products From Freshways
Now you know a little bit more about what milk to use in your baking, it’s time to buy. Freshways are a family-run wholesale dairy supplier, providing high-quality milk and other dairy products to customers across the UK. For over 30 years we have built up a reputation for excellent customer service and high-quality products.
So if you want wholesale baking ingredients for your business or cafe, call now on 0208 746 2046 to talk with one of our friendly team. If you want to find out more about our products or order online, visit our website now.