Milk

Liquid dairy milk, usually whole cow's milk in baking, adding moisture, protein, sugar and fat that help baked goods brown and stay tender.

Milk: A glass bottle and a glass of fresh whole milk on a wooden counter
  • Baking ingredients and additives

Also called: whole milk

Whole milk contains about 3.25% fat in the US. The milk sugar, lactose, and milk proteins help crusts brown, and the liquid hydrates flour and activates leaveners. Swapping skim milk usually works but gives slightly drier, paler results.

Scalding milk, heating it to about 180°F (82°C), was once needed to deactivate enzymes in raw milk; with pasteurized milk it's mainly used to dissolve sugar or infuse flavors.

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Related entries

Sources

Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.

  1. 21 CFR 131.110 Milk, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR)
  2. Milk in Bread Baking, BCcampus (BC Cook Articulation Committee), Understanding Ingredients for the Canadian Baker
  3. Cooking terms glossary (Real Life, Good Food), University of Minnesota Extension
  4. Milk (Q10988133), Wikidata