Baked by Jane

I always turn to baking when I'm feeling fed up or low, January is always one of those times. Lack of money after the festive period can usually be one of the reasons for my mood – but I still want to be able to bake.

Fancy cakes can cost a small fortune in ingredients, I love that bread is so cheap to make, just a few simple store cupboard essential and a bit of time is all you need. I think baking helps me switch off and empties my mind, bread especially can destress through taking out your worries while you knead the dough, and nothing is more comforting than the smell of freshly baked bread, it's something the whole family enjoys.

I won't pretend I know a lot about making bread, I'm still learning as I go along, trying new recipes out and seeing what I like. This milk loaf was something new to me, I absolutely loved it, and so did my eldest. Soft, rich, slightly sweet bread, almost reminds me of a brioche, toasts beautifully and I'm sure it would make the most amazing bread and butter pudding which I'll have to try out one day. This recipe is definitely a keeper.

I'm really enjoying making bread at the moment, there's something very therapeutic about the whole process.