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!

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