Dulce de Leche

Method

Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.

1. Put the milk, sugar, vanilla and salt in a wide, heavy pan — wide matters, because evaporation is the whole process.

   Mark done

2. Warm gently, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved completely.

   Mark done

3. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda. It will foam up substantially, which is why the pan needs headroom.

   Mark done

4. Return to a very low heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring every 10 minutes for the first hour.

   Mark done

5. After an hour it will have reduced by about half and turned pale gold. Stir every 5 minutes now.

   Mark done

6. After 90 minutes it will be noticeably thicker and amber. Stir constantly from here, scraping the base and corners.

   Mark done

7. It is done at about 2 to 2 1/2 hours, when it coats the back of a spoon thickly and a line drawn through it on the spoon holds. It thickens a great deal more as it cools, so stop earlier than feels right.

   Mark done

8. Strain into a clean jar to catch any bits that have caught, and remove the vanilla pod.

   Mark done

9. Cool completely before using.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• A wide pan. A narrow one takes twice as long.
• Stop while it still looks slightly loose. It sets firm when cold.
• Constant stirring in the last half hour, or it will catch and taste burnt.

Pairing Suggestions

• Alfajores
• Spread on toast
• Stirred into coffee

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate in a sealed jar for 4 weeks. It does not need to be frozen.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.