This recipe is for the sturdy, ultimately defining, classic Pullman Sandwich Loaf . Originally called pain de mie, the French bread was born in the eighteenth century. It got its American moniker from nineteenth century steam-driven railway cars.
Ingredients
- •575 grams (4 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour
- •118 ml (1/2 cup) nonfat dry milk
- •45 ml (3 tablespoons) dehydrated potato flakes
- •12.5 ml (2 1/2 teaspoons) kosher salt*
- •45 ml (3 tablespoons) granulated sugar
- •10 ml (2 teaspoons) instant yeast
- •158 ml (2/3 cup) lukewarm milk
- •90 ml (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
*Please note that kosher salt varies in saltiness according to brand. Diamond Crystal, used here, is less salty than some other brands.
Preparation
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, dry milk, potato flakes, salt, sugar, and yeast. Add 240 ml (1 cup) lukewarm water, milk, and butter. Stir to mix. Using your hands or a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, knead to form a smooth, soft dough.
Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover, and allow the dough to rise in a wam spot until puffy and nearly doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
Lightly grease a 33 cm (13 inch) pain de mie pan and lid. Gently deflate dough and transfer to a lightly greased work surface. Shape into a 33 cm (13 inch) log and fit it into the pan. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow dough to mrise until it’s just below the lip of the pan, 45 minutes to 1 hour or longer (the longer the rise the better the flavor).
Preheat oven to 177°C (350°F). Remove the plastic and slide the cover onto the pan. Bake the bread for 25 minutes. Remove the lid and retirn the bread to the oven to bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, until it is a deep tan color with an internal temperature on an instant-read thermometor of 88°C (190°F).
Remove the bread from the oven and turn out onto a rack to cool completely. Store in a plastic bag, or wrapped at room temperature, for 4 days, or slice and freeze for up to 3 months.