Pain de Mie (Pullman Loaf)

Before you start

Pain de mie means bread of the crumb, and the crumb is the point: fine, tight, soft and even, with a thin, pale crust. It is baked in a lidded Pullman pan, so the dough rises into the lid and the loaf comes out as a near-perfect rectangle, ideal for sandwiches with crusts trimmed, croque monsieur or neat toast.

Two things decide success. The dough weight must match the pan, or the corners will be rounded and empty, or dough will squeeze out under the lid. And you must close the lid at the right moment, when the dough is about 1 cm below the rim. Close it too late and the loaf forces its way out; too early and the corners never fill. This formula uses whole milk and butter for tenderness and is sized for a 23 x 10 x 10 cm (9 x 4 x 4 in) pan.

Ingredients

• 470 g (3¾ cups + 2 tbsp) bread flour
• 300 g (1¼ cups) whole milk — warmed to about 35°C (95°F)
• 25 g (2 tbsp) granulated sugar
• 9 g (1½ tsp) fine salt
• 5 g (1½ tsp) instant yeast
• 50 g (3½ tbsp) unsalted butter — softened, plus more for the pan

Method

1. Combine the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in the mixer bowl. Add the warm milk and mix on low until a stiff dough forms, about 2 minutes.
2. Knead on medium-low for 5 minutes, then add the butter in pieces. Continue kneading 6 to 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth, satiny and passes the windowpane test.
3. Cover and let rise in a lightly greased bowl for 60 to 90 minutes, until doubled.
4. Butter the pan and the inside of the lid. Turn out the dough, press out the gas and roll it into a rectangle about 23 x 30 cm (9 x 12 in). Roll it up tightly from a short side, pinching the seam, and set it seam side down in the pan so it touches both ends.
5. Cover and proof until the top of the dough is about 1 cm (½ in) below the rim, 45 to 60 minutes. Start heating the oven to 200°C (400°F) about 30 minutes in.
6. Slide the lid on and bake 30 minutes. Carefully remove the lid; the loaf should be square and pale golden. Bake uncovered 8 to 10 minutes more, until golden on top and 93°C (200°F) inside.
7. Turn the loaf out immediately onto a rack and cool completely, at least 2 hours, before slicing.

Tips for success

• Weigh the dough before shaping. For other Pullman sizes, use about 0.37 g of dough per cubic centimeter of pan volume.
• Check the proof every 10 minutes near the end; this dough rises faster in the last stretch than at the start.
• If your pan has no nonstick coating, butter it heavily, including the corners of the lid, or the top will tear.

Substitutions

Whole milk

Use 270 g water plus 20 g milk powder. The flavor is slightly less rich but the crumb stays fine and soft.

Bread flour

All-purpose flour makes a softer, more delicate crumb but a weaker dough that may not fill the corners as sharply.

Instant yeast

Active dry yeast at 6 g, dissolved in the warm milk for 5 minutes first.

Variations

Open-top milk loaf

Skip the lid and let the dough dome 2.5 cm above the rim, then bake 35 to 40 minutes.

Whole wheat pain de mie

Replace 120 g of the bread flour with fine whole wheat flour and add 15 g milk.

Troubleshooting

Rounded corners on top

The lid went on too early or the dough weight was low. Wait until the dough is 1 cm below the rim, and weigh the dough for your pan.

Dough squeezed out under the lid

It over-proofed or there was too much dough. Close the lid sooner and trim the dough weight by 30 to 50 g.

Sides caved in after cooling

The loaf was underbaked. Give it the full uncovered bake and confirm 93°C (200°F) inside.

Storage

Store sliced or whole in a sealed bag at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. Freeze pre-sliced for up to 3 months and toast from frozen.

Safety notes

Do not taste raw dough. Contains wheat and milk.