Pullman Sandwich Bread – Pain De Mie

Name: Pullman Sandwich Bread aka Pain de Mie Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 165 min
Yield: 2 loaves
Ingredients: 375 ml Warm milk; 50 grams Butter; 1 Egg (large); 2 1/4 tsp Instant dry yeast (1 packet); 1 tbsp Sugar; 1 1/2 tsp Salt; 440 grams All-purpose flour; 50 grams All-purpose flour (for kneading)

April 29, 2018 By Veena Azmanov 66 Comments

Pullman Sandwich Bread – French Pain De Mie Bread

Pain de mie is a French sandwich bread with four square corners baked in a Pullman loaf pan. This simple, easy and effortless recipe for Pullman sandwich bread makes a light and fluffy loaf of bread with perfect four square corners, delicate soft texture, soft crumb and delicious flavor that melts in the mouth.

A Pinterest Optimized image for Pullman Sandwich Bread a famous French Pain De Mie bread featuring a loaf of bread cut into slices

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What is it about four square corners that make a perfect sandwich bread. When I grew up a sandwich bread meant two perfect slices of bread that had four square corners. Anything else had to be called something else. I mean mom made this bread once a week and it was the only bread we use for butter sandwiches or jam sandwiches. I don’t ever remember eating a dinner roll or any other bread with butter, jam or peanut butter.

Things are so much different today. I am not so fussy about bread and I’m very happy with a whole wheat sandwich bread for my breakfast. And yet I do remember when mom would have to make a couple of different loaves of bread during the week. Since each bread had its specific purpose. We had this Pullman sandwich bread of breakfast. Also, we had the regular white sandwich bread which is baked in a loaf pan for meat sandwiches. And of course, we also had whole wheat rustic bread when she made a slow-cooked kinda dish.

Remember the Good Old Days?

When our moms and grandmom ran the kitchen, they really worked so hard. It was a tough life. They made everything from scratch and I don’t ever remember hearing mom complain. God forbid my kids should complain!! HA!! I make what I can and when I have the time and we make do with what’s in the house. The Pullman sandwich bread may be the perfect bread for sandwiches but if a whole wheat walnut bread is all we have then that’s what we shall eat with butter.

A top view of the Pullman sandwich bread also called Pain do Mie French Sandwich bread made in a Pullman loaf pan

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Pullman Sandwich Bread vs White Sandwich Bread (Save/Pin)

All bread made in a loaf pan can be used to make sandwiches but to be characterized as a Pullman Sandwich Bread, you must have four square corners. Yup!! That’s the defining characteristic of this bread. That shape actually comes from using a specific loaf pan that has a nifty sliding lid. You actually bake the bread with the lid on. So when the bread rises as it bakes it fill into the corners of the pan on all sides giving it those perfect square corners.

Not really sure how true this really is but I read somewhere that – The Pullman Railway company back in the old days invented this bread to make storage and transport easy. With this shape, they could stack the bread over each other using space more efficiently.

The texture of the Pullman sandwich bread is supposed to be soft, light and fluffy, so you must have a good recipe that when baked in a closed pan give you a perfect bread, not too dense nor too limp.

A whole loaf of uncut French Sandwich Bread Pain de Mie also called Pullman Sandwich bread made in a Pullman Bread Pan

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The Pullman Loaf Pan

This is not a pan you buy so often. And just because you buy a Pullman loaf pan does not mean you can’t make regular sandwich loaves in there. If you do not use the lid what you have is a regular sandwich loaf with a round edge. I love those too! However, if you buy a regular loaf pan then you can’t make a Pullman sandwich bread without the lid.

So, the smart choice according to me? If you must buy one loaf pan – buy the Pullman sandwich loaf pan that way you can make the regular bread without the lid or a Pullman sandwich bread with the lid. You can see me use it without the lid when I made my white sandwich bread, as well as whole wheat sandwich bread – both these are made with this same pan but without the lid.

A Word on Quality

Smart? Now, it is very important that you buy a good quality pan. Nothing is worse than to spend time on a bread and to have it stuck in the pan, or the lid does not work after one or two bakes. A good quality pan will last you for years and will be a pleasure to use over and over again.

This recipe will make one 13 x 4 x 4 loaf or two 7 x 4 x 4 loaves.

USA PAN Pullman Pan Set (1 Small Pullman 9x4x4, 1 Large Pullman 13x4x4)

Price Disclaimer

Let’s talk Ingredients and Substitutes (Save/Pin)

Flour – Often bread flour is recommended for making homemade dinner rolls or any homemade bread. But I have been making bread now for over 5 years and I always use all purpose flour.
Instant dry yeast – I like to use instant dry because I’ve always had great success with it. If you have to use active dry yeast you will need 2 1/4 tsp or one packet. And if you use fresh yeast you will need about 21 grams. Also, it’s not necessary to activate the yeast but I like to take the guesswork out and make sure my dough will rise.
Sugar – The sugar here is not really to add sweetness. So no, the one tablespoon won’t make your homemade dinner rolls sweet. The sugar and fat in the recipe are there to feed the yeast. Just as you need warm liquid to activate the yeast you need sugar and fat to strengthen it and let it grow. If you prefer you can substitute sugar with 2 tbsp of honey.
Butter – I like adding butter not just to feed the yeast but also to add flavor. You can substitute the butter for 2 tbsp of oil in this recipe.
Eggs – add a lot of flavor to the bread, give a tender crumb and strengthens the texture. The egg is also a leavening agent that helps the bread rise. You can omit the egg if necessary, but you will need to use less flour than the recipe states as the egg is a liquid ingredient.
Milk – enhances the flavor, tenderizes the dough giving it a soft texture.

A front view of the soft delicate texture inside the french sandwich bread called pain de mie baked in a Pullman Sandwich Pan

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Recipe – Pullman Sandwich Bread aka Pain de Mie (Save/Pin)

Useful Tips and Tools

A small Mixing Bowl or measuring cup to activate the yeast. I prefer to use glass over metal. If the metal is cold it can lower the temperature of the liquid ingredients. Not a big deal. And yet, it’s nice to get the yeast activated quickly and move on with the recipe.
I like mixing bread dough by hand. It’s quite therapeutic. But bread dough can be difficult to handle. Not just because it needs more kneading but also because it’s often a soft, sticky mess. And yet, keeping the dough soft and sticky is important for good bread baking. So, I highly recommend using a stand mixer Kenwood, kitchen-aidor other brands, it does not matter. Personally, I also have a hand mixer. And yet, I don’t use it for baking bread. Because bread dough is dense compared to cakes. So, it might harm my hand mixer. (recommended read – which stand mixer is good for home bakers)
Baking bread is a science. So measuring ingredients correctly is important. Also, do not wing the measurements. Use a Measuring Cup for liquid ingredients and Measuring Spoons for dry ingredients.
A good baking tray is as important to bread baking as it is to other baking Baking Tray. Therefore, buy a good quality baking tray that’s not too thin. The thick ones will prevent the bread from burning on the bottom. Sometimes you can even add a second tray on the bottom to prevent it from getting burnt.
Every oven works differently. So the baking times are just guidelines. In the case of bread, a hollow sound on the bottom of the bread is a great indication. If the bread bakes too quick or too slow compared to the time given it might be a good idea to check if your oven needs calibration. An oven thermometer is a great little gadget to help keep the oven temperature in check. All you need to do is adjust the temperature accordingly.

A look at the uncut Pullman Sandwich Bread Recipe also called Pain de Mie French Sandwich bread made with the pullman pan

Pullman Sandwich Bread Recipe, Pullman Loaf recipe, French Bread Pain De Mie Sandwich Bread Recipe

Ingredients (see substitutes above)

Milk – 375 ml (1 1/2 cup)
Butter – 50 grams (3 tbsp)
Egg – 1 large
Instant dry yeast – 1 tbsp (1 sachet)
Sugar -1 tbsp
Salt – 2 tsp
All-purpose flour – 440 grams + 1/2 cup for kneading

Method

Prepare Yeast

Ensure milk is warm, not hot (about 110 F).
Add the yeast, sugar, and egg.
Stir and set aside to foam for 5 mins.

Prepare Dough

Add flour in a mixer bowl.
Mix in the salt and yeast mixture.
Knead on medium speed for about a minutes scraping the sides of the bowl.
Once all the flour is incorporated.
Knead the dough for three minutes until smooth.
The dough will be soft and sticky.
Next, add the soft room temperature butter.
knead again for 2 minutes until smooth and elastic but still soft.

Prove Dough (1st rise)

Remove the dough from the mixer bowl onto a lightly floured surface.
Form into a smooth ball.
Place in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour until doubled in volume.

Shape the loaf

When the dough is double in volume invert on to a lightly floured surface.
Divide into two – to make two loaves.
Start to roll like a jelly roll.
Fold from top to the center then again once more towards the end.
Pinch the seams together.
Place into a buttered Pullman loaf pan seam side down.

Prove loaf (2nd rise)

Cover loaf pan with plastic wrap.
Let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes until almost 2 inches from the top rim of the loaf pan.
Once you see your dough is almost halfway up the sides – preheat the oven to 190 C / 380 F for at least 10 minutes.

Bake loaf

Cover the loaf pan with its lid.
Place the loaf pan on the center rack in the hot oven.
Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes.
The bread is done – when you tap the bottom of your loaf and you will hear a hollow sound.
Partially open the lid and let cool for 10 minutes – before you remove and let cool completely.
Always let bread rest for at least an hour before you cut – this is the hardest part!!
Enjoy!

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Pullman Sandwich Bread Recipe, Pullman Loaf recipe, French Bread Pain De Mie Sandwich Bread Recipe

Pullman Sandwich Bread aka Pain de Mie Recipe

4.97 from 31 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: French

Keyword: Pullman Bread Recipe, Pullman Sandwich Bread, Sandwich Bread Recipe

Adjust Servings Here: 2 loaves

Calories: 240kcal

Author: Veena Azmanov

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 2 hrs 45 mins

Ingredients

375 ml Warm milk
50 grams Butter
1 Egg large
2 1/4 tsp Instant dry yeast 1 packet
1 tbsp Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Salt
440 grams All-purpose flour
50 grams All-purpose flour for kneading

Metric - US customary