Rich, low-sodium sweet bread (the secret: whey permeate)

Not long ago, cheesemakers didn't have a use for whey. Once considered a worthless by-product, it’s now one of the world’s most sought-after ingredients for food and beverage formulation. So much has changed for cheesemakers, that many now refer to their business as "whey brewing," and regard cheese as their secondary product!

Whey proteins and their benefits are all the rage for many who pay attention to health and wellness. Whey proteins are complete proteins. They contain all the essential amino acids that the human body needs, and they are also easy to digest.

An excellent option for reducing sodium in food

Whey has many more applications. One of its derivatives is permeate, also called deproteinized serum. It’s an effective compound solution to reduce sodium in food. The US Dairy Export Council, located in Arlington, VA, funded research on the development and use of whey permeates.

Research showed that whey permeate can help formulators achieve a salty taste without salt, keeping sodium content low. Permeate also gives a golden color to food, which improves appearance and provides a pleasant, caramelized flavor.

Permeate improves the color and flavor of the baked crust of breads, said Kimberlee Burrington, former application coordinator at the Wisconsin Dairy Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and current director of education at the American Dairy Products Institute.

"The lactose in the permeate helps the baked bread retain its softness for a longer period of time and also helps extend its shelf life. This softness has been attributed to improved emulsification of the fat in the formula and increased water holding capacity," Burrington said.

Mexican sweet bread made with Crino® premium deproteinized whey

Crino® is a line of permeate that provides an economical alternative to skim milk powder. The line includes: Crino permeate; Crino deproteinized serum, and Crino premium deproteinized serum. Here we will use the latter to make a recipe for traditional Mexican sweet bread. Among its many advantages, Crino decreases the sodium content in the dough by 30%.

Ingredients (quantities are given in percentages)

Bread Dough: Wheat flour 52.16% | Sugar 13.01% | Crino premium deproteinized serum 1.25% | Baking powder 0.78% | Salt 0.21% | Unsalted butter 10.41% | Eggs 10.41% | Water 11.24% | Vanilla extract 0.52% | (Total: 100.00%)

Preparation: 

  1. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, Crino premium deproteinized whey and salt.
  2. Add the butter and mix well.
  3. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix well. Gradually add the water and mix until the dough takes shape.
  4. Continue kneading until the dough feels soft and elastic.
  5. Transfer the dough to a surface slightly covered with flour, and knead until a ball is formed.
  6. Place the dough in a greased container. Cover the container and let stand in a warm place for two hours until the volume doubles.
  7. While the dough rests, prepare the paste from the cover. Beat the vegetable butter in a bowl until it is creamy, then add the powdered sugar and gradually the flour. Divide the paste into 16 portions.
  8. Once the dough has rested, divide the dough into 16 portions and form small balls.
  9. Place the dumplings on a pre-greased baking sheet. Grease the surface of each dumpling.
  10. Place the prepared cover in step #7 on the dumplings. First, form a ball with the paste and then use your hands to form a flat circle. Place this circle on the dumpling and press firmly. Then make cuts in the cover to create the appearance of a shell.
  11. Let the breads rest in a warm place for one to two hours until the volume doubles.
  12. Bake in a preheated oven at 163º C (325° F) for 20 minutes until the base of the breads is golden.

If you want to know more about the Crino® product line, go to agropur.com/us for more information. If you found this content valuable, share it in your networks.