Pain de Mie

Pain de mie might just be the most perfect sandwich loaf ever.  It’s a perfectly square loaf of bread with a tight, tender crumb, crisp, buttery crust and it slices like a dream!  Grilled cheese, French toast, sandwiches and egg-in-the-hole are all the better with this loaf of bread. Pain de mie means “bread of the crumb” in French, referring to the high crumb-to-crust ratio.  It’s baked in a special lidded pan that keeps the bread confined to form that long, square loaf with a very thin crust.  It’s ubiquitous in France, basically their equivalent to our store-brought sliced white bread here in America.  A good, high-quality loaf is totally different than what you find in French supermarkets, just like going to a bakery for a loaf of good white bread here will completely change your understanding of what bread really can be.

The bread has a healthy dose of butter and powdered milk for richness, and potato flour helps keep it light and tender.  I’ve only found this bread once in the U.S., causing me to explore making it at home.  I was always scared of yeasted doughs and breads until I just ripped off the Band-Aid and started making them.  Now, I can’t get enough and I love the smell of bread baking and the pride I feel when I have a freshly baked loaf of bread sitting on the counter!  It’s even easier if you have a stand mixer with a dough hook, homemade bread is just a few minutes away at any time.

Make sure to take this bread to a rich, golden-brown color.  Using an instant-read thermometer to temp the middle helps ensure a perfectly baked loaf of pain de mie.  Happy bread baking!

Pain de Mie

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5 from 1 review

• Author: Amanda
• Yield: one 13-inch loaf

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Description

The perfect white sandwich bread-tender crumb with a crisp, buttery crust baked in a square bread mold.  Use for grilled cheese, sandwiches and egg-in-the hole!

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Ingredients

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• 2/3 cup (152 grams) whole milk, warmed slightly in the microwave
• 1 cup (227 grams) lukewarm water
• 6 tablespoons (85 grams) butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
• 2-1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons (35 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (35 grams) nonfat dry milk powder
• 3 tablespoons (35 grams) potato flour
• 4-3/4 cups (567 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast

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Instructions

1. Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook; mix/knead until a smooth, soft dough is formed, about 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise until the dough has risen to about double its original size and is puffy, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
3. Lightly grease a 13-inch pain de mie pan with softened butter, ensuring the top is also greased.  Gently deflate the dough and pat into an approximate 13-inch log to fit into the pan.  Place in the pan and cover again; allow the dough to rise for another 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the dough has risen close to the top of the pan.
4. Towards the ends of the proofing time, preheat the oven to 350°.  When the dough has risen, place the top on the pan and place in the oven.  Bake, covered for 25 minutes.  Remove the lid and return to the oven to bake for another 20 minutes, until golden-brown.  You can test the bread for doneness with a digital thermometer; it should read 190° when done.
5. Remove from the oven and remove from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Inspiration: Pain de Mie on kingarthurflour.com

• Category: Breads, Bread-y Things