Pain de Mie is a classic French bread known for its perfect square shape and soft, tender crumb. This Pullman loaf pan baked bread is ideal for sandwiches, toast, and French toast. The unique shape is achieved by baking the bread in a loaf pan with a lid, which compresses the dough and creates a dense, evenly textured loaf.
Why This Recipe Works
This homemade Pullman Loaf, or Pain de Mie, is a delightful bread that's perfect for any occasion. Its soft, tender crumb and slightly sweet flavor make it an ideal choice for sandwiches, toast, and French toast.
The unique shape of the Pullman loaf pan ensures perfectly square slices, making it a beautiful addition to your bread basket.
- Perfect sandwich bread: The square shape and soft texture make it perfect for sandwiches.
- Soft and tender: The dough is enriched with butter and milk for a soft and tender crumb.
- Versatile: This bread can be used for various purposes, from sandwiches to French toast.
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Ingredients Overview
To make this delicious Pain de Mie, you'll need a few simple ingredients. Gather warm water, active dry yeast, granulated sugar, bread flour, salt, softened butter, and warm milk.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Pro Tip
This recipe is developed to fit a Pullman loaf pan with a sliding lid that is 8.4(L) x 4.8(W) x 4.5(H) inch, or close to those dimensions.
How To A Make Pain de Mie Pullman Loaf
To make Pain de Mie, you'll first need to activate yeast in warm water with sugar. Then, combine flour, salt, softened butter, and warm milk to form a dough. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, then let it rise in a warm place.
Once risen, shape the dough into a loaf and let it rise again in a Pullman loaf pan. Bake the bread until golden brown and let it cool completely before slicing and enjoying.
Proof The Yeast
- In a small bowl add the milk, yeast, sugar, and egg. Stir and set aside to foam for 5 mins.
Prepare The Dough
- Using a large mixing bowl combine the flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and combine until flour is incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl.
- Once all the flour is incorporated, knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes on medium speed until smooth, or by hand for 10 minutes. The dough will be soft and sticky.
- Add the softened, room-temperature butter a little at a time. Knead by hand or with a dough hook until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Proof and Shape The Dough
- Remove the dough from the bowl and shape into a ball. Transfer to an oiled bowl and cover with a cloth or plastic wrap. Set in a warm location to proof and double in size, about an hour.
- When the dough is doubled in volume turnout the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out like into a 9 inch wide rectangle, about ¾ inch thick. Gently fold or roll the dough into a 9 inch wide log.
Bake The Loaf
- Spray the Pullman baking pan and lid with non-stick cooking spray. Transfer the dough log to the loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap or a cloth. Set in a warm location for about 45 minutes, or until the dough is about 2 inches from the pan rim.
- While the bread is proofing, preheat your oven to 375℉. Place the loaf pans on a baking sheet in the center of the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes, then gently slide the lid off the pan and allow to cool for another 30 minutes before tipping out to cool on a cooling rack.
Serving Suggestions
Pain de Mie is ideal for breakfast with butter and jam. It's perfect for sandwiches, like a Monte Cristo or grilled cheese. Slice it thick for French toast or bread pudding. Its dense, soft crumb and slightly sweet flavor make it versatile.
Substitutions and Variations
You can make some substitutions and variations when making this recipe.
- Replace some of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for a healthier option.
- You can substitute the milk with buttermilk or heavy cream for a richer flavor.
- Swirl cinnamon sugar into the dough for a sweeter bread.
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Tips for Success
Here are a few tips for making this recipe:
- Use warm liquids to activate the yeast.
- Kneading the dough develops gluten, which contributes to the bread's structure.
- Allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free place.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out.
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- Pullman 1 lb loaf pan and cover
Storage Options
- Store the bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Wrap the bread tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. A regular loaf pan will work great!
Yes, you can add dried fruits, nuts, or chocolate chips to the dough.
Sweet Yeast Bread
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- Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls
Get the Recipe!
Pain de Mie Pullman Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cups milk or water, warmed to 110℉
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoon sugar or honey
- 1¼ teaspoon instant dry yeast
- 3 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
- 1¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoon butter room temperature
Instructions
- In a small bowl add the milk, yeast, sugar, and egg. Stir and set aside to foam for 5 mins.¾ cups milk, 1 large egg, 2 tablespoon sugar, 1¼ teaspoon instant dry yeast
- Using a large mixing bowl combine the flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and combine until flour is incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl.3 cups bread flour, 1¼ teaspoon salt
- Once all the flour is incorporated, knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes on medium speed until smooth, or by hand for 10 minutes. The dough will be soft and sticky.
- Add the softened, room-temperature butter a little at a time. Knead by hand or with a dough hook until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.3 tablespoon butter
- Remove the dough from the bowl and shape into a ball. Transfer to an oiled bowl and cover with a cloth or plastic wrap. Set in a warm location to proof and double in size, about an hour.
- When the dough is doubled in volume turnout the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out like into a 9 inch wide rectangle, about ¾ inch thick. Gently fold or roll the dough into a 9 inch wide log.
- Spray the Pullman baking pan and lid with non-stick cooking spray. Transfer the dough log to the loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap or a cloth. Set in a warm location for about 45 minutes, or until the dough is about 2 inches from the pan rim.
- While the bread is proofing, preheat your oven to 375℉. Place the loaf pans on a baking sheet in the center of the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes, then gently slide the lid off the pan and allow to cool for another 30 minutes before tipping out to cool on a cooling rack.
Notes
- You can double this recipe for two 1 lb loaves or a single 2 lb loaf.
- You can increase the recipe by 50% for a 13 inch long Pullman pan (the 1.5 lb size).
Kelly says
Delicious, I'm making this again!