As I write this post, I’m munching on a piece of pain de mie toast – dry with nary a smear of butter or jam in sight. Because that’s the way I like it – plain, so I can really taste the flavor of the honey and oats. But this bread is ideal for making sweet and savory sandwiches, canapés, and croutons, too.
Like honey oat bread, pain de mie is tender and slightly sweet. But because there’s no milk and a bit more butter in the dough, it’s sturdier. Baking it in a pullman loaf pan ensures the bread doesn’t expand too much, resulting in a perfectly square, tight-grained loaf that’s perfect for slicing. Use it to make elegant tea sandwiches or homestyle BLTs – either way, your belly will be happy.
Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour.
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons lukewarm water
- In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients, stirring everything until it comes together to form a shaggy ball. Cover the bowl and let dough rest for 20 minutes. Then knead the dough by hand (or with a dough hook attachment) until it's smooth and elastic - this will take about 10 minutes (less if using a stand mixer). Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let it rise until poofy, 1-2 hours. (It won't necessarily double in size.)
- Gently deflate the dough and shape it into a 9" log. Place the log in a lightly greased 9" pullman loaf pan, pressing it gently to flatten. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rise until it's about 1" from the top of the pan, 1-2 hours.
- When the dough has almost finished rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the inside of the pullman loaf pan lid.
- When the dough has finished rising, remove plastic wrap and slide the pan's lid completely closed. Bake the bread for 30 minutes.
- Remove the lid and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Remove pan from the oven and turn out bread onto a wire rack. Cool completely before slicing and serving.
Nothing beats a homemade loaf of bread. I like that this has just a touch of sweetness from the honey and extra nutrients from the oats. Yum!
I totally agree, Mary – thanks for stopping by!
Hi. What if I don’t have a Pullman loaf pan? Can I just use a regular pan and cover with foil? 😀 thanks!
The pullman pan helps create a more square-shaped loaf but a regular bread pan will work perfectly! No need to cover it with foil.
Awww thank you so much for your quick reply!! I’m on the first rise 🙂 I’ve made your potato bread with rosemary and cheddar a month ago, also the the cauliflower and roasted corn chowder.. I loved them both
I’m not sure if you got the rest of my comment.. Somehow it didn’t post .. I just wanted to say thank you for these simple and easy recipes, but yet so delicious!! You’re awesome!!
You just made my day – I am so happy to hear you are enjoying the recipes! I’m sure your pain de mie will turn out perfectly.
I’ve made this twice in a 9×5 loaf pan in an oblong Dutch oven. This version I replaced the water with one an 1/4 cups of scalded milk. Thanks for the incredible recipe.
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So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I just made this (my new favorite) bread recipe again for the third time. I’m going to cube it, leave it out for a few days to dry, and use it in my Thanksgiving dressing. Thanks again.
So glad to hear – and I love that you’re incorporating the bread into your Thanksgiving spread! Happy holidays!
Alison the stuffing made with your bread was a big hit. Great texture much more substantive than using white bread crumbs. Next up I’m experimenting with a sourdough version using 145 grams of starter in lieu of the yeast and reducing the water and flour by 72.5 grams each.
Love that you’re making this recipe your own – in so many different ways!