With a perfectly square shape, sourdough Pain de Mie is great as the ends of your favorite sandwich. This sandwich loaf has a thin crust and soft interior. It will remind you of your favorite store-bought white bread but with the added flavor notes sourdough brings out in any recipe.
![A loaf of pain de mie next to a pullman pan on a white countertop](https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/pain-de-mie-17-1024x683.jpg)
When I first began my sourdough journey, I started by adapting my yeast sandwich bread recipe to sourdough. I made it weekly for years and still make it quite often.
Over the years, though, I’ve received multiple comments on my classic sourdough sandwich bread recipe asking if a Pullman loaf pan could be used instead of a regular loaf pan.
So, I thought I’d try my own Pullman loaf, also known as Pain de Mie, using my trusty sourdough starter.
The result was a beautifully soft crumb with a thin crust that resembled classic sliced soft bread you’d find on the grocery store shelves.
Of course, it was much tastier, as homemade bread always is. Plus, sourdough just makes everything better in my opinion.
Although this recipe is very similar to my sandwich bread, it does include whole milk in addition to the warm water. It gives this bread such a wonderful texture and rich taste.
What is Pain de Mie?
Pain de Mie is a French sandwich bread. Pain translates to bread, while Mie means crumb.
Some may refer to Pain de Mie as a Pullman loaf because it is typically made using a Pullman pan, which has straight sides and a sliding lid. This gives you uniform square pieces, making this “bread of the crumb” the perfect loaf for toast or sandwiches.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Similar to a classic sliced white bread – When using the lid on the pullman pan, you end up with a perfectly rectangle loaf. This also gives you very uniform slices throughout the loaf, which is great for sandwiches.
Thin crust for those that are not crust lovers – Although I love a nice crisp crust on a traditional sourdough boule, this sandwich bread is a nice option for those that like a thinner crust.
Simple to make, especially if you don’t have time for a hands-on recipe – If you have a stand mixer, this recipe is great because you can just throw everything in, let it knead for a few minutes, and then its time for the bulk rise. Though it will take a couple of days for this bread to be ready to bake, pending bulk rise time, the time you spend actively working on this bread is minimal.
Tips
- Using a stand mixer is ideal for this recipe. If you do not have one, I suggest using the stretch and fold method instead of kneading by hand. It will be much easier due to the added butter.
- Make sure your butter is at room temperature and soft before adding this to the dough. If it is too cold, it will not mix in well.
- You’ll need an active sourdough starter for this recipe. If you are new to sourdough, learn how to make your own sourdough starter here.
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Ingredients
Butter – Salted or unsalted butter works fine for this recipe.
Sugar – Using sugar helps give this bread its soft texture.
Salt
Sourdough starter, bubbly and active
Whole milk
Water
All-purpose flour – Although I love baking with a combo of white flour and whole wheat flour, this bread comes out best using all-purpose only.
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Tools You May Need
Measuring Cups and Spoons – For many sourdough loaves, I use a kitchen scale and go by weight measurements for my ingredients. I find this one is simple enough that using volume measurements is easier.
Stand Mixer (optional)
Pullpan Pan – I used a large Pullman pan for this recipe (13.6″×5.4″×4.7″).
How to Make Pain de Mie
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add all of the ingredients. I typically will add the flour last so I can adjust the amount as needed. The hydration of your starter, humidity, and other factors will effect exactly how much flour is needed.
Using a dough hook attachment, knead the dough in the mixer until it is smooth and elastic. You will know it is ready once it pulls away from the sides of the bowl and passes the windowpane test.
This may take about 10 minutes or more. This is not a super hydrated dough like other sourdough loaves. If you feel it is too sticky, you may need to add more flour.
How to do the Windowpane Test
To perform the windowpane test, take a small chunk of the dough and stretch it into a square. It should stretch thin enough to see light through without breaking.
Bulk Fermentation
Allow your dough to bulk rise in a large bowl covered with a lid or plastic wrap for 10-12 hours in a warm place. In the summer time, this may take less time. Usually I will bulk rise for about 8 hours in the warmer months.
Be careful not to over ferment the dough. You’ll know if it has fermented too long because it will be a sloppy mess when you try to shape your dough.
Shape
Shape your dough by gently stretching it into a rough rectangle until it is about 13 inches long. Roll it up and place the shaped dough in the Pullman pan seam side down. If your pan is not nonstick, spray it with an olive oil nonstick spray or grease it with butter.
Put the lid on the pan and let your dough rest for about 2 to 4 hours at room temperature. The dough should rise to within about an inch of the top of the pan.
To test if your dough has risen sufficiently on the second rise, gently press your finger in the dough. It should leave an imprint, and not spring back.
Bake
Preheat your oven to 375 F.
Bake with the lid on for 45 minutes.
After a few minutes, carefully remove the bread from the pan and let it cool on a wire rack until completely cooled.
Baker’s Timeline:
This can be started or made at any time. I like to start doughs at night time so they can rise all night. In the morning, they are ready to shape and bake.
Feed sourdough starter with flour and water.
Add all of the ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer and knead using a dough hook until the dough passes the windowpane test.
Allow the dough to bulk rise for 10 to 12 hours.
Shape the dough and place in a greased Pullman pan.
Allow to rise for 2 to 4 hours.
Bake at 375 F for 45 minutes. Allow to cool before slicing.
Storage
Store at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.
Not sure how to best store your bread? I put together a list of my favorite ways to keep my sourdough fresh for longer here.
For longer storage, you can also freeze it. To learn how to best freeze sourdough bread, check out my how-to guide.
How to Serve
While this is truly the perfect sandwich bread, you can enjoy this white loaf in a variety of ways.
- Avocado Toast – Mash a ripe avocado, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and add an over easy egg on top for a special breakfast treat.
- French Toast – While I typically use my sourdough brioche for French toast, this bread also works great. I love to do this when a loaf is about to go stale.
- Breakfast Sandwich - When you think of a breakfast sandwich, an English muffin or bagel may first come to mind. But Pain de Mie slices toasted on a hot cast iron skillet can make wonderful ends to a breakfast sandwich of eggs, bacon, and cheese.
Of course, if your loaf does not turn out the way you wanted it or if you can’t eat it all before it goes stale, you can always turn this into sourdough croutons or bread crumbs.
FAQ
Yes! If you do not use the lid, the bread will naturally rise in the oven, giving it the classic dome shape. It is totally up to you whether you use the lid or not.
This is usually the result of under proofing on the second rise. If you gently press your finger in the dough, it should leave an imprint, not spring back, if it has risen sufficiently.
You can use a loaf pan, but the ingredient quantities would likely need adjusted depending on the size of your pan. I suggest using my sourdough sandwich bread recipe instead.
More Sourdough Recipes from the Farmhouse
- Easy Sourdough Discard Hamburger Buns
- How to Bake Sourdough Bread in a Dutch Oven
- Homemade Sourdough Calzone Recipe
- Easy Sourdough Discard Naan Recipe
- How to Make Small Batch Sourdough Bread
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone
Sourdough Pain de Mie (Pullman Bread) Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer optional
- 1 Pullman Pan Large 13.6"×5.4"×4.7"
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter softened 84 g
- 1 tablespoon sugar 12 g
- 1/2 tablespoon salt 7 g
- 3/4 cup sourdough starter 170 g
- 1 cup water 236 g
- 1 cup milk 244 g
- 5 1/2 cups all purpose flour 770 g
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add all of the ingredients. I typically will add the flour last so I can adjust the amount as needed.
- Using a dough hook attachment, knead the dough in the mixer until it is smooth and elastic. You will know it is ready once it pulls away from the sides of the bowl and passes the windowpane test. This may take about 10 minutes or more.
- Allow your dough to bulk rise in a large bowl covered with a lid or plastic wrap for 10-12 hours in a warm place.
- Shape your dough by gently stretching it into a rough rectangle until it is about 13 inches long. Roll it up and place the shaped dough in the Pullman pan seam side down. If your pan is not nonstick, spray it with an olive oil nonstick spray or grease it with butter.
- Put the lid on the pan and let your dough rest for about 2 to 4 hours at room temperature. The dough should rise to within about an inch of the top of the pan.
- Preheat your oven to 375 F.
- Bake with the lid on for 45 minutes.
Notes
- Using a stand mixer is ideal for this recipe. If you do not have one, I suggest using the stretch and fold method instead of kneading by hand. It will be much easier due to the added butter.
- Make sure your butter is at room temperature and soft before adding this to the dough. If it is too cold, it will not mix in well.
- You’ll need an active sourdough starter for this recipe.
M'Lisa says
Was wondering what the internal temperature for the finished product should be? It smells great but it was only 175 degrees internal when the 45 minutes ended. Most beads want it at 190 degrees when done.
Lisa Bass says
This one should be at 190 also. You may need to cook it for 5-10 more minutes.
Doug says
hi can I move to the fridge after Step 4 to ferment more overnight, and then take it out the next day and let it rise as in Step 5 and then bake?
And, if so would you put the lid on for the fridge fermentation as well?
Lisa Bass says
Yes, you can do that! You could put the lid on top so that it doesn’t dry out.
Pam Hull says
Baking this in morning. Made my dough tonight. So, the total baking time is 45 min all with the lid on. No taking the lid off and baking longer? Just making sure I understand. I usually slather my entire loaf in melted butter when I take it out, is this ok or should I just leave it alone? Thank u!!!
Lisa Bass says
Yes, the entire thing with the lid on. You can slather it with butter!
Sarah says
Hi! I am nervous about letting whole milk sit out on the counter overnight. Can I ferment this dough in the fridge instead? If so, how long would you expect the first rise to take (maybe 2-3 days)? Thanks for all your yummy recipies!
Lisa Bass says
It’s a lot harder to achieve a rise in the fridge due to the colder temperature. It is best to leave it on the counter for that.
Pam says
The bread will be fine overnight. I set my oven on the proof setting and leave it all night. I have done this for years.
Marie Hueston says
I’ve been looking for a sourdough sandwich bread to use my Pullman pan with. Came out perfect! Thanks Lisa,
Larry Peterson says
what is the best way to scale this to a 9x4x4 inch pan?
Jennifer Schmidt says
This is our favorite recipe. So easy and it comes out perfect every time!