Small Loaf Pain De Mie Recipes

Steps:

• Starter: Also called pre-ferment, pâte fermentée (a mature pre-ferment, as in this starter), or poolish (which contains commercial yeast, as in this starter), this is the leavening or rising component of the bread baking process. Turn on a digital scale and weigh your empty container. Deduct the weight of the container by pressing the "tare" function, which resets the scale to zero. Add milk to the container, and tare to zero again. Then, continuing to weigh the ingredients, add salt, pinch of yeast, sugar, and flour. Use a chopstick to stir the starter until the dry and wet ingredients are just mixed. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature, away from direct sunlight, 6-8 hours.
• Dough: Stir flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a medium bowl, and set aside. Pour milk into the pre-ferment to loosen it. Whisk 2 eggs in a large bowl; then stir in the pre-ferment/milk mixture. Use a rubber spatula to break up the pre-ferment into the liquid. Add the flour mixture and the butter, and continue mixing until most of the dry ingredients have been combined with the starter mixture. Using a wooden spoon, and starting in the middle of the bowl, slowly stir to the edges until most of the flour has been mixed in and hydrated.
• Roll and Tuck: A technique to develop gluten in the dough so it becomes firmer and easier to work with. This is done one time, followed by a resting period. Combine 1 part fine semolina with 5 parts unbleached white flour to make dusting flour, and lightly dust a clean work surface. Using a plastic bowl scraper, push the dough and residual flour out of the bowl onto the work surface. Use the scraper to stretch and gently shape the dough into a rough rectangle (dough will still be sticky). Then, starting at one end, roll and tuck the dough like a tube, about 3-4 times. Flip the dough so it's seam-side up and flatten again to a rectangle in the opposite direction, so the seam stretches from left to right. Repeat rolling and tucking, always returning to a seam-up position. Continue until the dough feels stronger and begins to resist any further rolling, about 10 times. All of the flour will get absorbed into the dough during this process. Shape into a ball and place into a bowl coated with nonstick spray. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature, 45 minutes.
• Stretch and Fold: This technique strengthens the dough by folding it over onto itself. This process is repeated 3 times, with a resting period after each stretch and fold. Lightly dust the work surface and your hands with dusting flour. Using the scraper, release the dough from the bowl and place it seam-side down on the work surface. Gently shape into a rectangle, then fold the dough into thirds, like a letter. Pat it down slightly, then repeat the same fold in the other direction. Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature, 45 minutes. For the second stretch and fold, repeat the steps for the first stretch and fold, but this time stretch the dough by flipping back and forth (like pizza dough). Gently reshape it into a rough rectangular shape before folding. Cover with plastic wrap and rest at room temperature, 45 minutes. For the third and final stretch and fold, repeat the steps for the second stretch and fold, cover with plastic wrap and rest at room temperature, 45 minutes.
• Shaping/Fermentation (Proofing): Shape the dough to prepare it for baking, then ferment (proof) it for a period of time to expand the dough and develop flavor. Spray the bottom and sides of a pullman loaf pan with nonstick spray. Lightly dust the work surface and your hands with dusting flour. Press the dough down slightly to de-gas it, then stretch into a 16-inch square (or to whatever length of the pan you're using). Roll the square into a tube. Place the tube seam side down into the prepared pan. Gently tap the dough down with your fist to even it out in the pan, then cover with plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature until the dough rises about 1½ -inches above the surface of the pan, 1½-3 hours.
• Baking: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (preferably convection). Test dough for baking by gently pressing; it should bounce back, leaving a slight dimple. Make an egg wash by whisking the remaining egg with a pinch of salt; add about 1 tablespoon of milk to thin it out. Spray the outer edges of the pan with nonstick spray and use a pastry brush to gently brush egg wash across the top of the dough, twice. (The spray will ensure the egg wash doesn't seep into the corners of the pan.) Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Lower temperature to 385 degrees F. Rotate the pan and bake an additional 12-15 minutes. Test for doneness by removing from oven and giving it a thump on top; it should sound hollow. Tap the pan on the counter to release the loaf; turn it over and carefully remove the bread from the pan. Return the loaf to the oven on its side, and bake directly on the rack to solidify the shape, 5 minutes.
• Cooling, Slicing, and Storing: Transfer bread to a cooling rack (and notice the caramel aroma!). Cool completely before slicing and eating, at least 2 hours. Store loosely in plastic for 7 days.

Steps:

• Mix all of the ingredients in the order listed, and mix and knead - by hand, or using a stand mixer - to make a smooth dough. It won't be particularly soft nor stiff; it should be smooth and feel bouncy and elastic under your hands.
• Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, or large (8-cup) measuring cup. Cover it, and let it rise for 60 to 90 minutes, till it's become quite puffy, though not necessarily doubled in size.
• Gently deflate the dough, and shape it into a 9" log. Place it in a lightly greased 9" pain de mie pan. Cover the top of the pan with plastic wrap, to protect the dough as it rises.
• Let the dough rise for about 60 minutes, till it's within about 1/2" of the top edge of the pan. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Remove the plastic wrap, and slide the greased lid onto the pan. Bake the bread for 25 minutes. Remove the lid, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, till it's a rich golden brown. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read 195°F to 200°F If you prefer a lighter-colored crust, tent the loaf with foil as soon as you remove the pan lid.
• Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out onto a rack to cool. When completely cool, wrap in plastic, and store at room temperature.

Steps:

• Using a standar mixer, mix the ingredients in the order listed to make a smooth dough. It should be smooth and feel bouncy and elastic under your hands. It won't be particularly soft nor stiff.
• Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, or large (8-cup) measuring cup. Cover it, and let it rise for 60 to 90 minutes, till it's become quite puffy, though not necessarily doubled in size.
• Gently deflate the dough, and shape it into a 9" log. Place it in a lightly greased 9" pain de mie pan. Cover the top of the pan with plastic wrap, to protect the dough as it rises.
• Let the dough rise for about 60 minutes, till it's within about 1/2" of the top edge of the pan.
• Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F
• Remove the plastic wrap, and slide the greased lid onto the pan.
• Bake for 25 minutes.
• Remove the lid, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, till it's a rich golden brown. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read 195°F to 200°F
• If you prefer a lighter-colored crust, tent the loaf with foil as soon as you remove the pan lid.
• Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out onto a rack to cool.
• When completely cool, wrap in plastic, and store at room temperature.

Steps:

• Weigh out flour and remove about a cup from the flour.
• Mix the milk with the hot water (should be around 95F) then mix in the dry yeast and sugar into the milk and add to the flour.
• Mix everything with a wooden spoon for 5 minutes.
• Add softened butter in chunks and beat this into the mix (yes this is extremely hard work but you'll love the bread!) then add the reserved flour and salt and mix together. Try to beat/mix this extremely soft dough for 2-3 minutes until very elastic.
• Heavily butter another bowl and scoop the soft dough into the bowl and cover in plastic wrap.
• Place in oven at 45C(85F) for 2 hours to rise. Heavily butter an 8inch by 4 inch loaf pan and the bottom of a heavy baking sheet. When batter/dough has risen, smush down and fold with a spoon gently then scrap into an 8inchx4inch loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap or dry kitchen tea towel and let rise until it's just below the top of the pan NOT ABOVE THE LOAF PAN EDGE! Place buttered-bottom baking sheet on top of loaf pan and place brick/rock/heavy weight on top. Place carefully into 425F/210C oven for 20 minutes then remove weight and continue baking for 20 minutes longer or until the bread sounds hollow when thumped on the base (remove from oven, invert from pan, and thump). When done, remove from pan and let cool on rack.

Steps:

• NOTE: Pain de mie is best made with a mixer.
• Remove butter from fridge and pound it soft with a rolling pin. You won't need to strike it more than 10 or 12 times. Make sure it can take the impression of your finger.
• Combine all ingredients except butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on slow speed for 4 minutes.
• Increase mixer speed to medium, add half the softened butter, nix for 1 minute. Add the remaining softened butter and mix n additional 5 minutes. All the butter should have disappeared into the dough, creating strength and suppleness.
• Cover dough and let it ferment for 1 1/4 hours, folding once after 45 minutes.
• Spray a 13-inch Pullman pan with nonstick spray.
• Carefully turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently de-gas the dough as you pat it into a rectangular shape.
• Divide the rectangle roughly in half. (Its OK if the aren't exactly the same weight).
• Shape each piece in a baguette like rope, about 20 inches long. Lightly twist the ropes together and place in pullman pan.
• Put lid on the pan but leave it open 1-2 inches so you can check progress of dough as it proofs. The dough will require 1 to 1 1.2 hours to achieve full volume. It's ready to bake when the top surface of the dough is about 1/2 inch below the lid of the pan. Close lid completely before baking.
• Bake at 450 F for 10 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 F and bake another 25 minutes. Remove the lid from the pan and bake for another 10 minutes. Check the sidewall of the loaf. They should be solid and golden brown. If they aren't, invert pan and let the pan de mie slide out o a shet pan. Bake for an extra 5 minutes, or until the sidewall have enough structure to hold up the weight of the loaf.