Pain de Mie

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Pain de Mie ("bread of the crumb") traces its roots back to 18th-century France. Soft, enruched pan breads were the go-to for the rich nobles and wealthy households whose palates preferred the soft, white crusts to the chewey brick-like bakes of the peasants. 

During the 19th century, British sandwich bread and toast gained popularity across Europe. The further invention of the Pullman Pan in the USA attracted French bakers who produced a lid for their pans to encase the steam and restrict dough expansion and lighten the crust. The uniform square-shaped slice has arrived!

I'm baking my Pain de Mie in an enclosed Pullman that tapers slightly. The top measurements are 20 cm x 11.5 cm and the bottom measurements are 18.5cm x 10 cm with a height of 10 cms. This gives a volume of 2,071 cm³.

INGREDIENTS

450 gms strong white flour

270 gms milk

45 gms unsalted butter

22 gms sugar (either caster or Demerara)

9 gms fine sea salt

7 gms instant active yeast

METHOD

Mix all the ingredients together and bring them to a rough mix. 

Knead for about 10 minutes until you have a soft and silky dough. 

Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and allow to rise until double in volume. 

Tip out onto a lightly-floured surface and knock back (de-gas) vigorously.  (Dough weight 753gms)

Shape for the prepared tin and then cover with a cloth

Leave until the dough is one inch from the top of the tin. Slide on the lid. 

Preheat the oven to 190⁰C (Conventional) / 375⁰F (Conventional) - a little less if your oven is fan-assisted. 

Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the lid and decant the loaf from the tin onto a wire cooling rack. 

Here's one baked with the lid off and one baked with the lid off....baked at the same time with the same degree of second proofing. 

Leave until cold before slicing. 

Happy baking.