Finding a reliable yeast dough that does not take all day can feel like a challenge. This quick sweet bread dough is a versatile base that comes together easily and works beautifully for everything from festive star bread to savory pocket sandwiches. It creates a soft, flavorful bread without the long wait times of traditional recipes.
Ingredients for the Sweet Bread Recipe
- Instant Dry Yeast This is the leavening agent that helps the dough rise quickly. We use instant yeast because it can be mixed directly in, though blooming it ensures it is active.
- Granulated Sugar The sugar feeds the yeast, helping it activate and rise. It also adds a gentle sweetness to the dough and helps with browning.
- Warm Milk Milk adds fat and sugar (lactose), creating a softer, more tender crumb than water would. The warmth activates the yeast.
- Unsalted Butter Butter creates a rich flavor and a soft, velvety texture in the finished bread. (Note to Dan ** Please double-check if this is ½ cup or ¼ cup).
- Egg The egg provides structure and richness, helping the dough hold its shape while remaining tender.
- Unbleached All-Purpose Flour This provides the gluten structure needed for the bread to rise and hold its shape.
- Salt Salt is essential for flavor, but it also controls the yeast fermentation so the dough doesn't rise too fast and collapse.
Why This Recipe Works
- Enriched for Softness: Unlike basic bread recipes that use water, this dough uses warm milk, butter, and an egg. These fats inhibit gluten formation just enough to create a tender, pillowy crumb rather than a chewy crust, making it ideal for soft rolls and star bread.
- Speed without Sacrifice: By using instant yeast and a warm proving spot, this recipe cuts down on the long wait times usually associated with yeast doughs. You get a full rise and great flavor in a fraction of the time it takes to make traditional brioche.
- High Hydration: You might notice the dough is "very soft and sticky" when mixing. This high moisture content is intentional—it ensures the steam stays trapped inside during baking, keeping the finished bread moist for days.
- Versatile Flavor Profile: The sugar content is balanced to support the yeast and provide a hint of sweetness without being overpowering. This neutrality allows the dough to transition seamlessly from sweet applications (like star bread) to savory ones (like ham and cheese pockets).
How to Make the Sweet Bread Dough
- Activate the Yeast Start by adding your sugar, yeast, and warm milk to your mixing bowl. Give it a quick whisk to combine. Even though instant yeast doesn't technically require blooming, I like to cover the bowl and let it sit in a warm spot for 5 to 7 minutes. This guarantees the yeast is alive and ready to work.
- Mix the Dough Once the yeast looks frothy, add the butter, egg, flour, and salt. Mix this until everything is well combined. Do not be alarmed if the dough looks very soft and sticky—that is exactly how it should be to ensure a tender bread.
- Knead and Shape Lightly flour your counter or workspace and turn the dough out. Gently knead it, adding just a sprinkle of flour if needed, until you can form a smooth ball.
- Proof the Dough Place your dough ball into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap or a warm towel and set it in a warm, draft-free area. Let it prove for about 60 to 90 minutes. You will know it is ready when it has doubled in size.
- Ready to Bake Once doubled, your dough is ready to be gently punched down and shaped into star bread, buns, or pocket sandwiches.
Using the bread dough
While this recipe was born from a desire for sweet treats, it has become my secret weapon for savory snacks, too. The slight sweetness of the dough pairs amazingly with salty fillings. We love using it for simple ham and cheese pockets, but the family favorite recently was a Chicken Spinach Artichoke Pocket. I actually used the filling ingredients from my Spinach and Artichoke Pasta recipe, and it was a huge hit.
Please visit my appetizer page for more ideas!
FAQ's
Yes, you can. If using active dry yeast, you should bloom it in the warm milk with a pinch of the sugar for about 5 to 10 minutes until it becomes foamy before adding the rest of the ingredients.
This is a soft dough, so some stickiness is normal. However, if it is unmanageable, you can add one tablespoon of flour at a time until it comes together. Avoid adding too much flour, or the bread may become dense.
You can prepare the dough and let it do its first rise in the refrigerator overnight. This slows down the yeast activity and can actually develop more flavor. Just bring it to room temperature before shaping.
The milk should be warm to the touch but not hot, ideally between 105°F and 115°F. If the milk is too hot, it can kill the yeast, preventing the dough from rising.
Yes, you can freeze the dough after the first rise and shaping. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to three months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before baking.
Recipe
Quick Sweet Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 packet of instant dry yeast
- 3 T granulated sugar
- ¾ cup of warm milk
- ¼ cup of unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- 2 ⅓ cup of unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of salt
Method
- Place yeast, sugar, and warm milk in the bowl of a stand mixer or a bowl you are using with a hand mixer. Let proof for 5-7 minutes.
- Once proved, add butter, egg, flour, and salt. Mix thoroughly.
- The dough will be very soft and sticky. Add a bit of flour to a work surface and turn the dough out. Form dough into a ball and place into a lightly oiled bowl to prove.
- Prove dough in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until dough has doubled in size.
- The dough will be ready to roll out into buns, star bread, roll ups, pockets, or whatever you like!
Nutrition
Notes
- Measurement Tip For the most accurate results, use a kitchen scale to weigh your flour. If using cups, spoon the flour into the cup and level it off rather than scooping directly, which can pack too much flour into the recipe.
- Butter Clarification Please ensure your butter is softened to room temperature so it incorporates easily into the dough without leaving lumps.
- Sweet vs Savory Since this dough has sugar, it leans slightly sweet. If you are making very savory pockets (like ham and cheese), the sweetness provides a nice contrast, similar to a Hawaiian roll.
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