Pullman Sandwich Bread – Pain De Mie
Pain de mie is a French sandwich bread with four square corners baked in a Pullman loaf pan. This simple and easy recipe for Pullman sandwich bread makes a light and fluffy loaf of bread with perfect four square corners. And, it has a delicate soft texture, soft crumb, and delicious flavor.
One of my fondest childhood memories revolves around the perfectly square sandwiches my mom used to pack for my school lunches.
What made these sandwiches extra special was the bread—my mom’s homemade bread. It was soft, fluffy, and perfectly square. I remember how it would squish gently when I took a bite, the crust revealing a pillowy interior that practically melted in my mouth. It was the only bread we used 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
Now, as a parent myself, I find myself recreating this cherished tradition for my own kids. I take just as much care in making their sandwiches as my mom did for me. Watching my kids dig into their sandwiches brings me immeasurable joy. It’s a simple pleasure, to be sure, but one that connects us across generations and brings back cherished memories of childhood.
In a world that often moves too fast, there’s something comforting about slowing down and savoring the simple things in life – like a perfectly square sandwich made with love and shared with those we hold dear.
What is Pullman bread?
All bread made in a loaf pan can be used to make sandwiches, and yet 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 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 fills the corners of the pan on all sides, giving it those perfect square corners.
I’m not really sure how true this is, but I read somewhere that the Pullman Railway Company invented this bread back in the old days to make storage and transport easier. With this shape, they could stack the bread one on top of the 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’s just right for the pan you have, so it will give you a perfect bread, not too dense nor too limp.
Why make this bread?
- This bread recipe tastes great and is quick and simple to prepare.
- Most of the ingredients are simple and easy to find or pantry staples.
- The dough is made with commercial yeast, so the rise and proofing time is 60 to 90 minutes, unlike the many hours needed to make sourdough bread with a sourdough starter.
- It’s really not that complicated. In fact, it is one of the simplest breads you can make in the kitchen. Follow the directions below and eat it fresh, or French toast it for breakfast.
- Because of its square sides, this classic pain de mie is the best bread to use for sandwiches. It has a light and airy yet soft, tight crumb with a chewy texture.
- I am using a stand mixer with the dough hook, but you can also use a bread machine. Pour all ingredients into the pan. Set to dough or manual. Start and let the dough run its cycle for about 9 to 10 minutes – continue with the recipe as shown above.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Flour – Often, bread flour is recommended for making homemade bread, but this one works perfectly with 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.
- Sugar – Not much, so it won’t make the dough sweet, but it will help feed the yeast and help it ferment quicker. If you prefer, you can also substitute sugar with 2 tbsp of honey.
- Butter – Will add richness and feed the yeast, helping it ferment quicker. You can also substitute the butter for 2 tbsp of oil in this recipe.
- Eggs – You can also omit the egg to make an eggless Pullman bread and replace it with 1/2 cup warm milk.
- Milk – Enhances the flavor and tenderizes the dough, giving it a soft texture.
Step-by-step: Best Pullman sandwich bread recipe
Dough
- Liquid ingredients – Ensure milk is warm, not hot (about 110°F). In a small bowl, add the yeast, sugar, and egg. Stir and set aside to foam for 5 mins.
- Dry ingredients – In the large bowl of a stand mixer, with the dough hook attachment, combine the flour and salt. Then, add the yeast mixture. Combine with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
Pro tip – If you do not like kneading, I highly recommend using a stand mixer with the hook attachment. - Combine – Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and combine on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Pro tip – Avoid the temptation to add more flour. We want soft, light, and fluffy bread, and this is only possible when the dough is soft, elastic, yet slightly sticky.
- Knead – Once all the flour is incorporated, knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes on medium speed until smooth. The dough will be soft and sticky.
Pro tip – A soft and sticky dough is a light and airy bread, so don’t add more flour. - Butter – Next, add the soft room-temperature butter a little at a time. Knead again for another 10 to 12 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Pro tip – When you add the butter, it will seem like the dough is falling apart. Trust the process and keep kneading. It will become smooth and shiny. - Bowl – Remove the dough from the mixer bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Shape it into a ball. Then, place in an oiled bowl.
Pro tip – Using a flexible bread scraper does a good job of removing the sticky dough from the bowl.
Rise, Shape, Proof
- Rise – Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen cloth. Leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour until doubled in volume.
Pro tip – In winter, you may need 90 minutes or more. But in summer, the dough may double in 45 minutes. If you can’t attend to it at that moment, de-gas, reshape, and let doubles in volume again. - Shape – When the dough has doubled in volume, invert it onto a lightly floured surface. Next, start to roll like a jelly roll. Fold from the top to the center, then again once more towards the end. Pinch the seams together.
Pro tip – The idea is to fold the dough into a nice, tight package. Folding helps strengthen the gluten strands and prevents loose, floppy bread. - Proof – Place into a buttered Pullman loaf pan seam side down. Then, cover the loaf pan with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen cloth. Let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes until almost 2 inches from the top rim of the loaf pan.
- Cover – Once you see your dough is almost halfway up the sides, spray the cover of the Pullman pan lid and place it on.
Pro tip – You want to place the lid on before it rises to the top, so you don’t ruin the rise.
Bake
- Oven – Once you see your dough is almost halfway up the sides, preheat the oven to 380°F / 190°C / Gas Mark 5 for at least 20 minutes.
- Bake – Place the loaf pans on a baking sheet and into the oven.
- Bake the 13-inch loaf for about 45 to 50 minutes,
- Bake the 9-inch loaf for about 25 to 30 minutes,
- and the 7-inch loaf for about 20 to 25 minutes.
Pro tip – The bread is done when you tap the bottom of your loaf, and you will hear a hollow sound (or the internal temperature registers between 160° and 180°F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Cool – Partially open the lid and let it cool for 10 minutes – before you invert it onto a cooling rack. Then, cover it with a clean kitchen towel for 5 minutes to keep it soft.
Pro tip – Wrapping the bread in a kitchen cloth will let the steam cool in the bread, keeping it soft. - Note – Always let bread rest for at least an hour before you cut it – this is the hardest part!! But it will prevent the steam from escaping and making the bread dry.
- Enjoy!
Pullman Sandwich Bread aka Pain de Mie
Video
Ingredients
- 276 ml (1¼ cups) Warm milk or water (110℉)
- 100 g (2 large) Egg
- 50 g (4 tbsp) Sugar or honey
- 9 g (3 tsp) Instant dry yeast
- 562 g (4.5 cups) Bread flour or all-purpose flour
- 12 g (2 tsp) Salt
- 60 g (4 tbsp) unsalted Butter room temperature (or ¼ cup oil)
- 180 ml (¾ cup) Warm milk or water (110℉)
- 60 g (1 large) Egg
- 40 g (2½ tbsp) Sugar or honey
- 7 g (2¼ tsp) Instant dry yeast
- 400 g (3¼ cups) Bread flour or all-purpose flour
- 9 g (1½ tsp) Salt
- 42 g (3 tbsp) unsalted Butter room temperature (or 2½ tbsp oil)
- 160 g (⅔ cup) Warm milk or water (110℉)
- 50 g (1 large) Egg
- 25 g (1½ tbsp) Sugar or honey
- 5 g (1½ tsp) Instant dry yeast
- 370 g (3 cups) Bread flour + 2 tbsp more for consistency
- 7 g (1¼ tsp) Salt
- 35 g (2½ tbsp) unsalted Butter room temperature (or 2 tbsp oil)
Method
- Liquid ingredients – Ensure milk is warm, not hot (about 110 F). In a small bowl add the milk, yeast, sugar, and egg. Stir and set aside to foam for 5 mins.276 ml Warm milk or water (110℉), 100 g Egg, 50 g Sugar, 9 g Instant dry yeast
- Dry ingredients – In the large bowl of a stand mixer, with the dough hook attachment combine the flour and salt. Then, add the yeast mixture. Combine with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula562 g Bread flour , 12 g Salt
- Combine– Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and combine on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Knead – Once all the flour is incorporated, knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes on medium speed until smooth. The dough will be soft and sticky.
- Butter – Next, add the soft room-temperature butter a little at a time. knead again for another 10 to 12 minutes until smooth and elastic.60 g unsalted Butter
- Bowl – Remove the dough from the mixer bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Shape it into a ball. Place in an oiled bowl.
- Proof – Cover with plastic wrap or clean kitchen cloth. Leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour until doubled in volume.
- Shape – When the dough is doubled in volume invert the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface. Start to roll like a jelly roll. Fold from the top to the center then again once more towards the end. Pinch the seams together.
- Proof – Place into a buttered Pullman loaf pan seam side down. Cover the loaf pan with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen cloth. Let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes until almost 2 inches from the top rim of the loaf pan.
- Cover – Once you see your dough is almost halfway up the sides – spray the cover of the Pullman pan lid and place it on.Pro tip – you want to place the lid on before it rises to the top so you don't ruin the rise.
- Oven – Once you see your dough is almost halfway up the sides preheat the oven to 380°F / 190°C / Gas Mark 5 for at least 20 minutes.
- Bake – Place the loaf pans on a baking sheet and into the oven. Bake – the 13-inch loaf for about 45 to 50 minutes, – the 9-inch loaf for about 25 to 30 minutes, – and the 7-inch loaf for about 20 to 25 minutes. Pro tip – The bread is done – when you tap the bottom of your loaf and you will hear a hollow sound (or the internal temperature registers between 160° to 180°F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Cool – Partially open the lid and let it cool for 10 minutes – before you invert it onto a cooling rack. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel for 5 minutes to keep soft.
- Note – Always let bread rest for at least an hour before you cut it – this is the hardest part!! But, it will prevent the steam from escaping and making the bread dry.
Notes
-
Knead until smooth and elastic.
A well-developed dough rises higher and gives you that soft, even Pullman crumb. -
Keep the dough slightly firm.
A tighter dough holds its shape, fills the corners of the pan, and bakes into a square, even loaf. -
Chill the dough for 10–15 minutes before shaping.
A short rest firms it up just enough to roll tightly, which prevents gaps and tunnels. -
Fill the Pullman pan just under halfway.
This gives the dough room to rise without popping the lid or overflowing.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
Mention @veenaazmanov_kitchen or tag #veenaazmanovkitchen!Tips for Success
- Knead until smooth and elastic – A well-developed dough rises higher and gives you that soft, even Pullman crumb.
- Keep the dough slightly firm -A tighter dough holds its shape, fills the corners of the pan, and bakes into a square, even loaf.
- Chill the dough for 10–15 minutes before shaping – A short rest firms it up just enough to roll tightly, which prevents gaps and tunnels.
- Fill the Pullman pan just under halfway – This gives the dough room to rise without popping the lid or overflowing.
more pullman bread variations
- If you like Brioche bread try my Brioche Pullman Bread
- And if you have sourdough make my Sourdough Pullman Loaf (Pain de Mie)
Troubleshooting Pullman Sandwich Bread
| Issue | What Went Wrong | How to Fix It |
|---|---|---|
| The loaf is dense, or didn’t rise enough | The dough was under-kneaded or proofed in a cool environment | Knead until windowpane; proof at 26–28°C; extend rise if needed |
| Lid popped open, or loaf ballooned | Overproofed or too much dough placed in the Pullman pan | Shorten final proof; weigh dough correctly for your pan size |
| Sides pulled in or shrank while cooling | The loaf was underbaked, so the structure didn’t set | Bake 5–8 minutes longer; aim for internal temp 93–95°C (200–205°F) |
| Crumb has tunnels or large gaps | Shaping was loose, or air pockets weren’t expelled | Roll tightly, pinch seams well, and tap the pan before proofing |
more sandwich bread recipes
- White sandwich bread recipe
- Brioche sandwich bread or Brioche Pullman Loaf
- No-knead sandwich bread
- Whole wheat sandwich bread
- Challah Sandwich Bread
- Challah Recipe – 3 strands, 4 strands, 5 strands, 6 strands
- See all Sandwich Bread recipes
Frequently asked questions
If stored properly, this white bread will stay for 4 to 5 days at room temperature. It can also be frozen for a month or more, too. However, never store bread in the fridge as it dries out.
Pain de mie is a soft, white or brown sliced bread in French. ‘Pain’ means bread, and ‘(de) la mie’ refers to the soft part of the bread. In English, pain de mie is similar to a Pullman loaf or regular sandwich bread.
Yes, the only difference is that a Pullman is baked in a square pan, and you need to use the right amount of dough in the pan. Too little and it won’t reach the corners for a square shape, too much may cause the bread to explode in the pan during baking.
The smart choice? If you must buy one loaf pan, buy the Pullman sandwich loaf pan, so that you can make regular bread without the lid or Pullman sandwich bread with the lid. It is very important that you buy a good-quality pan. Nothing is worse than spending time on bread and having it stuck in the pan, or the lid does not work after one or two bakes. (often an issue with low-quality metal)
A good quality pan will last you for years and will be a pleasure to use over and over again. Here are three pans that I own and love very much: a 13 x 4 x 4 Pullman pan, a 9 x 4 x 4 Pullman pan, and this 8 x 4 x 4 Pullman pan can be used for this recipe.
Each Pullman pan will have its own guide for total dough weight.
16x4x4 about 1300 – 1400 grams
13x4x4 about 1100 – 1200 grams
9x4x4 about 750 – 850 grams
7x4x4 about 550 – 650 grams
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Just baked this today, and oh my it was perfect. Didn’t have any issues. I love it when that happens. The dough was good, the rise was beautiful, the bake just perfect. And oh my the taste.. LOVE this bread. Actually I love all your bread recipes. Thanks Veena
Hey Caroline.Thank you so much for the lovely feedback. You just made my day.
Hi! I jus baked the bread in a 10inch pan .. for 40-45 mins.. it never turned brown.. on any side.. am I missing something…thanks for all ur recipes.. love it.
Hey Padmasini.That is weird.
Check the temperature of your oven – is it low?
It should become nice and brown especially at 40 to 45 minutes. You can also take the bread out of the pan for the last 1o minutes
Mine did not turn out as brown as the pic at the top of this topic either (and I know my oven temps are right). Rather than brushing it with the egg wash, just take the lid off for the last 5-10 minutes or so (watch so it doesn’t get TOO brown). That should get you the colour you want.
Yes, there is no need to brush this bread with egg wash (sorry for mentioning that earlier – my bad) And yes, you can take it off the pan and bake the last 10 to 15 minutes open in the oven. This gives a nice brown color too. But I usually don’t need to do that. It has a nice brown color.
In the process of proofing now. I needed the 2lb size (13x9x4 pan). A word of advice: I tried to use my h.d. Breville Mixer (the BIG one) and this dough was too much for it to handle. Bogged down. Reason I mention this is if you are using a normal stand mixer I would recommend making this in two separate batches as far as the mixing goes BUT when it comes time to proof it, re-combine the two dough portions in one bowl. Your machine (and sanity) will thank you. I did not do this by hand but rather in a food processor with dough hook.
Having said that: the ingredients are perfect for a soft easily-sliceable loaf. And a special thank you for listing the primary ingredients in grams!! Grams are universal, cups and ounces not so much. Not many bloggers bother so I really appreciate it.
I will update this after it’s baked.
Turned out perfect. I did it as one loaf in a 13x4x4 pan so baked at 380o for 35min then took lid off and back in for another 5 minutes. Total of 40 minutes.
Took it’s temp–205o F and out she comes to cool off. Out of pan and on rack.
Thank you, LenD. Happy it turned out perfect. Taking it off does give you a nice golden crust. Thank you for coming back to leave this feedback.
Hey LenD, this is just a 1lb recipe and works perfectly in my Kenwood stand mixer. There is no need to halve the recipe. I do not have the Breville so thanks for that feedback. I have never used a bread machine so I can’t advise on bread mixers. Thanks for the feedback. I think you will love this recipe
It’s a heavy duty food processor not a mixer but it still should have handled it. I just have to adjust.
It filled my 13x4x4 pullman perfectly. Had a piece after it cooled down (obviously). It does not need any extra butter on the slice (but it sure was nice).
Recipe is a keeper!
Thank you so much, LenD. I love butter on my bread as well. (even brioche sandwich bread)
Looking delicious and the process is looking so easy. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Shree
VEENA,
I LOVE THIS RECIPE (pullman sandwich bread) I always add an extra egg yolk to this recipe. But that is it. I also love that you give more accurate measurements by using weights rather than using measuring cups. Most all recipes go haywire because people use measuring cups to measure flour. It it so wrong. But any way I just wanted you to know that I love ALL your recipes. Keep up the great blog and all.
Big Fan!
Thank you so much, Ron. So happy you enjoyed this and my other recipes. Appreciate you coming back to write this feedback. Thanks
Is the baking time you listed for each of the two divided loaves? What if we want to use the full recipe in the 13 X 4 pullman pan, will the baking time increase? Thanks!
Hey Jaime. Yes, you can use this and make a large 13-inch Pullman sandwich – You will need about 40 to 60 minutes to bake the larger loaf. Thanks
Does the milk matter. I used 1% and the dough was very soupy. Its either the milk or i need a new scale. Approximately how many cups is 440 g.
Hey Becky, the recipe card below the post lets you see measurements between grams as well as cups.
Just switch between metrics and US customary.
440 grams flour should be 3 1/2 cups.
Sounds like you have a bit more liquid. No worries – just add a little more flour – look at the video to see how I go about it.
Let me know who it goes.
Definitely was not using enough flour. It came out perfect this time. Thank you
Awesome…. glad to hear it all worked out. Thank you so much for coming back to write this feedback.
Hi,
how if i wanna make it eggless without egg replacer or so? so it will yeast, flour, milk/water, butter/oil, salt
please help
Hey ay. yes, you can make this eggless. just omit the egg and use a little less flour. Everything else will remain the same. Thanks
Great recipe and great bread! My only question is…I baked mine according to the recipe. It came out beauftil but was a little dry. I used bread flour and active yeast. Any suggestions or changes I can make so it’s not as dry?
Thank you!
Hey Candice.
Glad you liked your bread. There could be two reasons for this.
1. That the dough needed a little more moisture. Look at my video – did the dough look soft and elastic like that? if yes, then the other reason could be that
2. It needed to come out of the oven a few minutes before. Remember it continues to cook even after it comes out of the oven.
3. As a tip – wrapping the bread in a clean kitchen towel soon after it comes out of the oven will help keep moisture in the bread.
I hope that makes sense. Have a great day.
Made this last week. Worked perfectly. My loaf pan was a bit bigger than you mentioned so the bread was softer and fluffy. But we loved it.
Thank you, Hasson. So happy to hear you had success with this recipe and loved it. Thanks for coming back to write this feedback. Have a lovely week.
I would like to try this recipe, I just purchased a new Pullman bread pan that is 11″, can you tell me how I should adjust the baking time for a larger pan and if I can just use entire dough for pan instead of making it into 2 loaves? Thank you for your feedback,
Hey Mrs H. This recipe can make one 13-inch loaf or two 7-inch loaves. I think you can use this whole recipe for the 11″. It should work and take about 50 to 60 minutes to bake. Please do let me know how it was. Thanks
Thank you for this recipe, made it last week and it turned out perfect. Appreciate the detailed post and video.
Thank you, Kasi. So happy you had success with this recipe and that you enjoyed it too. Thanks for coming back to write this feedback. Have a wonderful week.