Sourdough Banh Mi

November 09, 2025

Sourdough Banh Mi

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I was recently having lunch at HOP, a Vietnamese Street Eats cafe in Manchester, where I enjoyed a Banh-mi filled with crispy chicken and salad. I started thinking about how the Vietnamese usually make their Banh-Mi using commercial baker's yeast.

https://breadclub20.blogspot.com/2023/05/banh-mi-vietnamese-baguette.html

I'd bought, filled and eaten my fair share on a visit many years ago to Hanoi and Halong Bay.

And then I wondered whether, in the meantime, they had branched out into using sourdough?

Now, you'll find all manner of sourdough Banh-Mi on the internet; most are as authentic as the Rolex watch I bought from the street market in the Hongqiao (Pearl) Market, Beijing. It was 10:30 a.m. when I bought it, and by the time I got to the end of the street, it was 5:30 a.m.

So, what to do? Well, what better than going to source. I sent an email to someone I know who lives in Hanoi, and was pleased to have this authentic Vietnamese recipe by return.

I hope you enjoy it. On reflection, I might have milk-washed the tops to give them a sheen?

INGREDIENTS

Stage 1: The sweet stiff starter

70 gms active sourdough starter (at peak)

90 gms tepid water

35 gms caster sugar

215 gms strong bread flour. (with a high protein level)

Stage 2: The dough

All the sweet still starter (see Stage 1)

70 gms strong bread fllour

80 gms Tipo 00 flour

50 gms bheaten egg (one medium egg)

80 gms tepid water

10 gms olive or vegetable oil

6 gms fine sea salt

5 gms lemon juice.

METHOD

Stage 1: mix all the ingredients for the sweet stiff starter together. Cover and leave at room temperature overnight.

The next morning.

Mix all the ingredients for the dough (including the sweet stiff starter) together in a large bowl. Knead it until it's soft and elastic.

Place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave at room temperature until it has doubled in volume.

Next

Divide into SIX equal pieces. Form each into a ball, cover and rest the dough for 10 minutes.

Now, shape each ball into a rough rectangle. Bring one long side over two-thirds of the way and seal the join using your fingers. Bring the remaining one-third over and seal again. Turn the dough over and gently shape it into a torpedo/ baguette shape. You can shape the ends into points if you wish.