Heating milk without scorching
Milk proteins and sugars stick to a hot pot and burn if the milk sits still on high heat. On top, protein and fat dry into a skin. Heat on medium-low and stir often. Steaming, at about 80°C (175°F), means it's ready.
Why milk boils over
Near a boil, milk proteins trap steam bubbles and the foam climbs the pot fast. A wider pot, lower heat and a quick stir give the steam room to escape. A cold-water rinse first also helps stop sticking.
Test yourself
Questions from the interactive lesson, with the answer and the why.
You need steaming milk for hot chocolate in 5 minutes. Which approach works?
Medium-low heat, stirring often. Gentle heat prevents sticking and boil-over.
True or false: The skin that forms on hot milk is made of milk protein and fat.
True. The surface dries and the proteins and fat clump together.
What went wrong? You heat milk on high and wander off. When you come back there's a brown crust on the pot and a burnt smell.
High heat and no stirring let the milk sugars scorch. Lower heat and some stirring would have prevented it.
Fill the blank: Milk rises and boils over because its proteins trap ___ in foam.
Milk rises and boils over because its proteins trap steam in foam. The trapped steam pushes the foam up the pot.
How do you stop a skin from forming on hot milk?
Stir now and then, or whisk it to a light froth. Milk that keeps moving doesn't dry into a skin.
