Pain De Mie

Why this recipe works Pain de mie (mie means “crumb” in French) is a loaf of bread with straight edges, a tender, velvety crumb, and a minimal crust—excellent for making a standout peanut butter and jelly or grilled cheese sandwich. This bread gets its perfectly square corners from being baked in a straight-sided Pullman loaf pan, which has a cover that slides over the bread. These pans were famously used in the small kitchens of Pullman railway cars because the bakers could stack the squared-off loaves. In the early 18th century, long before the pans were used on trains, European bread makers started using squared pans in an effort to minimize crust. We wanted to do just that: create a straight-edged, airy loaf with crust so thin that no child would ask to remove it. For the flour, we landed on all-purpose instead of bread flour because it produced an airier interior and a softer crust. Curiously, many pain de mie recipes we researched included dry milk powder, so we thought it might soften the crumb even further. Not so. Loaves made with a combination of liquid whole milk and water had a much fluffier, more tender crumb. Four tablespoons of butter, melted and combined with the milk and water, enriched the bread’s flavor without making it greasy. Finally, for a hint of sweetness, we preferred the addition of honey to sugar because it increased the moisture of our bread enough so that we wouldn’t have to add an excessive amount of milk or water, which would make the dough difficult to work with. To obtain even browning, we removed the lid of the Pullman loaf pan and rotated the loaf halfway through baking.

MAKES: 1 loaf

RISING TIME: 2 to 3 hours

BAKING TIME: 35 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 3½ to 4½ hours, plus 3 hours cooling time

KEY EQUIPMENT: 13 by 4-inch Pullman loaf pan, instant-read thermometer

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups (20 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (9 ounces) whole milk, room temperature
• ¼ cup (2 ounces) water, room temperature
• 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons honey

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Whisk flour, yeast, and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer. In a 4-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk together milk, water, melted butter, and honey until the honey has dissolved.
2. Using the dough hook attachment on low speed, slowly add the milk mixture to the flour mixture. Mix until a cohesive dough starts to form and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Increase the speed to medium-low and knead the dough until it is smooth, elastic, and clears the sides of the bowl, which usually takes about 8 minutes.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter and knead it by hand to form a smooth, round ball, about 30 seconds. Place the dough seam side down in a lightly greased large bowl or container. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and let it rise until it doubles in size, usually for 1 to 1½ hours.
4. Grease the lid, bottom, and sides of a 13 by 4-inch Pullman loaf pan. Press down on the dough to deflate it. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter, with the side that was against the bowl now facing up. Press and stretch the dough into a 12 by 10-inch rectangle, with the long side parallel to the counter edge.
5. Roll the dough away from you into a firm cylinder, keeping the roll taut by tucking it under itself as you go. Pinch the seam closed and place the loaf seam side down in the prepared pan, gently pressing the dough into the corners.
6. Slide the lid onto the pan, leaving a 2-inch opening at one end. Cover the opening tightly with greased plastic wrap and let the dough rise until the loaf is level with the lip of the pan and the dough springs back minimally when gently poked with your knuckle, usually for 1 to 1½ hours.
7. Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Slide the lid completely onto the pan and bake the loaf until it is light golden brown and registers 205 to 210 degrees Fahrenheit, which takes about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the lid and rotate the pan halfway through baking.
8. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then, remove the loaf from the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack for about 3 hours before serving.