Pain au Lait (French Milk Rolls)
Soft, shiny, lightly sweet French milk rolls with a tender crumb, lovely for breakfast or a chocolate spread sandwich.
- Time3 hr 15
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.18 a head
- Oven190°C (170°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Estimated nutrition per serving
- 228kcal
- 36.2gcarbs
- 5.6gof which sugars
- 6.6gfat
- 3.6gsaturates
- 6.1gprotein
- 1.3gfibre
- 1.1gsalt
A rough estimate worked out from the ingredients, for the serving size above. It is a guide only and not medical advice. If you count carbs or manage diabetes, check with your own tools and your care team.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Put the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl and the yeast on the other side. Add the egg and warm milk and mix to a sticky dough. Knead for 10 minutes.
10 min - 2
Add the butter in three lots, kneading each in before adding the next. Knead for about 8 minutes more, until the dough is smooth, shiny and stretches thin without tearing.
8 min - 3
Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hour 30 minutes, until doubled.
90 min - 4
Divide into 12 pieces of about 70 g. Shape each into a smooth ball, then roll into a short oval. Space them 4 cm apart on two lined trays, cover loosely and leave for 45 minutes until puffy.
45 min - 5
Heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan). Beat the glaze egg with the 1 tbsp milk and brush it gently over the rolls. Snip a short line along the top of each with scissors.
- 6
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until deep golden. Swap the trays halfway if your oven is uneven.
16 min - 7
Cool on a wire rack. They are softest the day they are baked and freeze well.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
