How to Make Pain de Mie Sandwich Bread Without Kneading

Pullman bread is characterized by a lot of crumb in relation to crust. It has a soft, white and smooth interior and a beautifully golden-brown exterior. It is one of the most basic sandwich breads. But simple ingredients make great breads. A little bit of milk, sugar, and butter work wonders in the softness department.

We’ve made a similar bread in the past which contained milk powder and potato starch. Both are quite uncommon ingredients, so I decided to stick to the basics and replace them. Instead of milk powder we’ll use milk. And we’ll add more flour to replace the potato starch.

If you want to try the other version click here. It can also be made without kneading. Simply follow the instructions of the recipe below.

This loaf will fit in a 2lb (900g) Pullman tin. If you’re using a 2lb (900g) cake tin, then reduce the amount of every ingredient by 20%.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the dough –

280g (9.9oz) water

50g (1.75oz) milk

7g (0.25oz) instant dry yeast or 8.4g (0.3oz) active dry yeast or 21g (0.75oz) fresh yeast

10g (0.35oz) salt

10g (0.35oz) sugar

25g (0.9oz) butter

500g (1.1lb) white bread flour

To learn more about no-knead bread dough temperature control click here.

The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration. 

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

Method

1. In a large bowl combine the water, milk, yeast, salt, sugar, and butter. Mix well to dissolve the salt and sugar. Add the flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature 25C (77F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust fermentation time accordingly.
2. Cover and ferment for 45 – 60 minutes.
3. Fold.
4. Cover and ferment for 45 – 60 minutes.
5. Shape and place in a greased tin. Brush the top with butter.
6. Cover and proof for 1 hour.
7. Bake at 180C (355F) fan on for 40 minutes.
8. Remove from the tin and place the bread back into the oven for another 5 minutes to finish baking the crust.

Cool down and enjoy. You can slice it and freeze it for instant toast!

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.