Recipe Index

Ingredients

• 4 cups whole milk
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pinch fine sea salt

Method

1. Pour the milk into a large, heavy saucepan — the mixture will foam up, so leave plenty of headroom — and set it over medium heat.
2. Stir in the sugar and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely.
3. Dissolve the baking soda in 1 tablespoon of warm water and stir it into the milk. The mixture will froth vigorously; keep stirring until it settles, then lower the heat to medium-low.
4. Simmer gently, stirring every few minutes and scraping the bottom and sides so nothing catches, for about 2 hours. Regulate the heat so the milk stays at a lazy bubble, never a rolling boil.
5. As it cooks, the mixture will turn from pale gold to a deep amber and thicken noticeably. In the last 20 minutes, stir almost constantly.
6. It is ready when it coats the back of a spoon thickly and a trail drawn across the bottom of the pan holds for a second before closing. Remember it will thicken further as it cools.
7. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. For an extra-smooth finish, whisk vigorously or strain through a sieve.
8. Pour into a clean jar, cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. It keeps for up to 1 month chilled and will spread thickly straight from the jar.

Total: 2 hrs 15 mins

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data