Many baking recipes involve several basic ingredients, from flour to eggs, butter, and milk. But when it comes to wheat bread, you may have wondered whether it contains milk or dairy.
Wheat bread recipes sometimes combine milk proteins (such as whey or casein) and milk or milk powder. However, to avoid dairy, some bakeries avoid using milk in wheat bread.
Keep reading this guide to learn about the ingredients that commonly make up wheat bread.
You’ll find out about certain brands whose wheat bread contains milk, as well as tips on making your own wheat bread without including milk.
Is There Milk In Wheat Bread?
Most bakeries and companies producing wheat bread for supermarket distribution do not use milk in their recipes.
The primary reason for excluding milk and milk derivatives is that it’s a common allergen.
Plus, bread manufacturers are trying to adapt to more consumers minimizing the amount of dairy they consume.
Further, milk and dairy aren’t always necessary to make bread.
Related: Is There Milk in Wonder Bread?
Milk Content In Wheat Bread
In the below table, learn about the milk content found in popular brands of wheat bread sold in the United States:
Nature’s Own 100% Whole Wheat Bread | Nickles Split Top Wheat Bread | Private Selection 100% Whole Wheat Bread | Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain 100% Whole Wheat Bread | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Milk Content | No milk or dairy | No milk or dairy | Free from milk and its derivatives | Contains 2% or less of milk and its derivatives (whey) |
Is There Dairy In Wheat Bread?
Since milk and milk derivatives are forms of dairy, and most wheat bread recipes don’t include those ingredients, wheat bread isn’t likely to contain dairy.
Furthermore, other forms of dairy, like butter, are not commonly included in the ingredient lists of wheat bread.
Unless a recipe for wheat bread specifically calls for butter, cheese, milkfat, nonfat milk powder, milk, or some other form of dairy, you aren’t likely to encounter wheat bread with dairy in it.
Related: Is There Milk in Bread?
Wheat Bread Without Dairy or Milk
If a wheat bread recipe calls for milk or another type of dairy, the good news is that you can substitute those ingredients with dairy-free milk.
If it’s moisture that you don’t want to compromise, consider using a non-dairy type of milk like almond milk or soy milk instead of regular milk.
If it’s fat content that you don’t want to compromise, consider using margarine or cooking oil instead of butter.
Related: Is There Milk in Sourdough Bread?
Final Thoughts
If you’ve ever wondered is there milk in wheat bread?, then hopefully, this article has cleared things up for you.
Lucky for lactose intolerants and plant-based eaters, most wheat bread recipes don’t involve the use of any dairy ingredients.
In the rare case that a wheat bread recipe does call for milk, butter, or another dairy ingredient, you can always substitute with dairy-free alternatives.
