Flat White At Home Recipe

The recipe

Exact quantities, then the method.

A flat white is all about the milk: less foam than a cappuccino, just a thin, silky microfoam poured over a strong coffee. With instant coffee the trick is to make it double-strength in a little water, so it holds up under the milk rather than washing out.

Source: teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for the Flat White at Home recipe. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/coffee/flat-white-at-home/

Stretch the milk gently, pour it close to the surface, and you get a smooth, glossy cup with barely any foam. Makes one.

6 min Serves 1 Easy Coffee Recipes

You'll need

2 heaped teaspoons of Costa Smooth Medium Roast Coffee granules (about 4g)
60ml freshly drawn water, brought to a rolling boil, then cooled to about 90C (check with a thermometer)
180ml whole milk

Equipment

1 warmed 250ml glass cup
1 small saucepan
1 small handheld milk frother

Method

Warm a cup or small glass with hot water and tip it out.
Dissolve two heaped teaspoons of coffee in 60ml of hot water (around 90C) to make a strong shot.
Heat the flat white milk in a small pan until it steams.
Froth it only briefly, around ten seconds, so you get a thin, silky microfoam rather than the thick foam of a cappuccino.
Pour the milk slowly, keeping the jug close to the surface, so the coffee stays below and a small white dot forms on top.
Aim for silk, not peaks; a flat white wants a glossy microfoam, not stiff bubbles.

What you'll end up with: A smooth, glossy flat white with a strong coffee base and just a thin veil of milk foam on top. Less airy than a cappuccino, with the coffee leading.

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