Does bread have dairy? (9+ other products that do)

In this article, we will answer the following question: Does bread have dairy? We will talk about milk as an ingredient in bread-making and 9+ foods that contain dairy products and you probably didn’t know about most of them. 

Does bread have dairy?

Not all types of bread have dairy, but some of them do have milk as an ingredient. A classical bread is one that does not rely on dairy products for its production. However, some manufacturers include dairy ingredients such as butter, whey powder, or skim milk powder.

There are many types of lactose-free bread. In your trusted bakery you can openly ask if they have products that do not contain milk and/or butter as ingredients.

There are a wide variety of types of lactose-free bread, made from spinach, broccoli or pumpkin seeds. There are many options to make them directly at home or buy them from a bakery. But, in case they are processed, we advise you to carefully read the label. 

But why would bread have dairy products? In bread making, milk is considered an improving and enriching ingredient of bread. 

  • It improves the colour of the crust due to caramelization of lactose
  • It gives the bread better flavour
  • It gives the bread better texture, the dough is soft and velvety with the use of milk in the dough.
  • Incorporates more nutritious bread, increasing its protein value
  • Increases the preservation of bread, as it retains moisture, improves volume, the crumb results from small and soft pores.
  • The fat in the milk inhibits or slows down fermentation somewhat, but makes the dough very flexible and elastic.
  • The milk proteins make the dough more fluffy, they are mainly acid-sensitive casein and heat-sensitive albumin.
  • Improves the taste of bread and produces a well browned and crispy crust
  • The mineral salts fortify the gluten and give the dough a better consistency. This slows down the fermentation somewhat, but the finished product acquires a crumb of small pores.
  • The water in the milk serves as a liquid to form the dough, for the swelling of the constituents of the flour (protein-gluten) and the subsequent gelling of the starch in the cooking process.
  • Milk sugar is not fermentable, as neither flour nor yeast contains the enzyme that breaks down lactose. For this reason, it remains in pastry products, improving its taste and producing a well-browned and crispy crust.
  • The mineral salts fortify the gluten and give the dough a better consistency. This slows down the fermentation somewhat, but the finished product acquires a crumb of small pores.
  • The water in the milk serves as a liquid to form the dough, for the swelling of the constituents of the flour (protein-gluten) and the subsequent gelling of the starch in the cooking process.

Foods that have dairy you did not know about

Although calcium and dairy can lower the risk of osteoporosis and colon cancer, their high intake increases the chances of developing prostate cancer and ovarian cancer, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.

And if from now on you think that you have never consumed too much dairy products by drinking just one glass of milk a day, we are sorry to disappoint you, because other foods contain dairy products … Here is the list:

1. Canned soups, creams and purees

2. Sliced bread (white bread)

3. Sausages

4. In the case of restaurants, dishes that contain: egg, gratin food, pasta and fried foods (some use butter)

5, Sauces, salad dressings and mayonnaise

6. Industrial pastry

7. Creamy ice cream

8. Commercial smoothies: Believe it or not, some use yoghurt to give consistency to this drink.

9. Milk chocolate

10. Protein-enriched cereals

Be careful when reading the label! Lactose is also present in about 20% of prescription drugs like birth control pills, and about 6% of the over-the-counter stomach and heartburn medications.

Other FAQs about Bread which you may be interested in.

Can you get sick from eating expired bread?

How long does bread last in the fridge?

Diet for lactose intolerance people

The diet for lactose intolerance is composed only of foods that contain a minimum amount of lactose.

The purpose of such a diet is to prevent the occurrence of side effects of milk or dairy products: bloating, intestinal cramps, diarrhoea. The severity of these symptoms depends on the amount of lactose ingested and the level of lactase deficiency.

If side effects are already established, they usually stop 3-5 days after starting the diet.

This diet is created mainly for people who cannot digest milk sugar (lactose), due to a deficiency of lactase, the gastric enzyme responsible for digesting dairy products. It is also recommended in cases of total lack of lactase in inflammatory bowel disease and other malabsorption syndromes.

It must be said that the diet has a general character; there are several levels of lactose intolerance, and each person needs to know the individual’s degree of tolerance to a particular food. 

General indications:

  • The diet is based on the elimination of milk and dairy products
  • Read the nutritional information on the products carefully
  • Avoid products that contain lactose, milk or dried milk
  • Lactalbumin and calcium compounds are salts of lactic acid and do not contain lactose.

Conclusions

In this article, we answered the following question: Does bread have dairy? We talked about milk as an ingredient in bread-making and 9+ foods that contain dairy products and you probably didn’t know about most of them. 

Bread and cereals are among the foods banned in lactose-intolerant people. Also, be careful with all bakery or confectionery products (biscuits, muffins, pancakes, etc.); prepared with milk or milk derivatives; homemade bread with milk; dry cereals containing lactose or milk.

If you have any questions or comments on the content, please let us know.

References

The Spruce Eats – Foods that Contain “Hidden” Dairy

Drugs.com – Lactose Free Diet

BDB Nutrition – Lactose intolerant