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Home » Recipes » Yeast Bread Recipes

Pain de Mie/Pullman Loaf Recipe

Published: Aug 14, 2023 Last Updated: Aug 25, 2023 by Marye 2187 words. | About 11 minutes to read this article.

2 hours hrs 55 minutes mins
Pullman loaf, also called Pain de Mie, is a mild bread with a delicate flavor and velvety crumb. It is baked in a special bread pan so that it is perfectly squared off and has the thinnest crust possible. Great for French Toast.
Jump to Recipe
Overhead view of the pullman loaf bread on a cutting board with text overlay for Pinterest.

This easy sandwich bread is known as pain de mie, bread of the crumb in French because of its perfect texture.

Don't want to scroll through the page to get to the recipe? Use the table of contents to click on the section you want.

Overhead view of a loaf of pullman bread showing the golden crust.
Jump to:
  • 🗝️ Key takeaways
  • 🧾 Ingredients
  • 📖 Variations
  • 🔪 Instructions
  • 🥫 How to store leftovers
  • 💭 Things to know
  • 👩‍🍳 FAQs
  • 📚 Related recipes
  • 🫶 We recommend
  • 📞 The last word
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

,I made this bread today..It is awesome!

5 star rating
5 star rating
5 star rating
5 star rating
5 star rating
Marye,I made this bread today..It is awesome! So easy,flavor is very good..Loved it as all your breads are so good..Thank you for sharing your recipes with us..I have not made a one bread of yours or cakes or anything you share ,that I had to throw away..Your recipes are awesome..Thank you again
Bev

🗝️ Key takeaways

  • The crumb on this bread is soft and tender and since there's very little crust it's great for the little kids. No more cutting off the crusts!
  • This versatile loaf is tasty as a sandwich loaf, Texas toast, or French toast
  • A Pullman loaf pan (also called Pain de Mie pan) has a top on it while it is baking. This means that the bread has a flat top with almost no crust at all.

Pullman bread, also known as pain de mie, is a classic-style loaf of bread, recognized best for its well-known square slices and cravable texture!

Plus, the thin, golden brown crust is easy to trim off without much waste for elegantly presented tea time snacks—or, to appease picky eaters!

Fun fact: most types of bread loaves that you buy for sandwiches from the bread aisle in the grocery store (not the fresh bakery section) are technically pain de mie, too!

🧾 Ingredients

This is an "at a glance" list of ingredients. You'll find the list and the measurements in the printable recipe card below.

Labeled ingredients for Pullman bread.

📖 Variations

  • Knead in about ¾ cup of raisins or dried cranberries
  • Use half whole wheat flour
  • Knead in ¾ cups of chopped pecans
  • Follow the filling and shaping instructions for cinnamon swirl bread but bake it in the Pullman pan.

🔪 Instructions

Step by step images showing how to mix the dough for homemade Pullman loaf bread.
  1. In a large bowl, combine the active dry yeast, sugar, and warm water.
  2. After about ten minutes, add two cups of flour to the yeast mixture.
  3. Pour in the milk and butter. Stir.
  4. Add the salt, dry milk powder, and mashed potato flakes.
Step by step images showing how to shape the Pullman loaf bread.
  1. Add the rest of the flour slowly, mixing until smooth bread dough forms.
  2. Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl and let rise, covered, in a warm place for two hours or in the fridge overnight.
  3. Place dough in a Pullman pan. Let rise until it reaches the lip of the pan.
  4. Slide the metal cover over the pan. Bake with the cover on.
pain de mie uses a special covered pan|restlesschipotle.com
Cover the pan when the bread has almost risen to the top - but still has a little bit of room.

🥫 How to store leftovers

Like most homemade loaf bread, Pullman loaves are best enjoyed within three or four days of baking. However, you can also freeze the bread for up to three months!

To store the Pullman bread, wrap it in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and keep it at room temperature.

Be sure to tightly cover any cut sections of the bread to prevent air from getting in and drying out the loaf.

To freeze

For longer storage, place the wrapped loaf into a freezer-safe bag and put it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

I like to slice the Pullman loaf, first, sandwiching each slice in between a piece of parchment paper. That way, I can easily pull out an individual slice or two any time I have a taste for delicious sandwich bread!

You can thaw a full Pullman loaf at room temperature, or pop a slice or two straight from frozen into the toaster if you just can't wait—when the bread cravings call, they're hard to ignore!

💭 Things to know

⭐ Expert Tip: Pay close attention to the ingredient temperatures written in the recipe. Unless otherwise indicated, the rest of the ingredients should be at room temperature for the best loaf ever!

  • Sometimes tap water has chemicals or components that can interfere with the yeast and affect how the dough rises. It's best to use spring water from a bottle if you can.
  • If you choose the two-hour first rise, try to set the bowl in a draft-free place. Yeast is the most effective for quick growth around 75 degrees F. The warmth of your kitchen from a preheated oven is ideal!
  • If you have time make it the day before and let it rise overnight in the refrigerator for the first rise, before shaping.
  • If you don't have a Pullman bread pan, coat two regular loaf pans with non-stick spray or olive oil. Divide the dough between them, and cover tightly with a greased sheet of foil. Then, wrap each of the pans in another layer or two of foil, sealing them securely.
  • No guesswork is needed to tell when your bread is finished baking—just check it with an instant-read thermometer. The internal temperature at the center should be 190 degrees F.
  • To easily get the bread out of the hot pan, turn a cooling rack upside down over the top of the loaf pan. In one fluid motion, flip over both the rack and pan. Then, simply lift the pan off of your beautiful, warm bread.
  • Let the bread cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into it or wrapping for storage.
  • You can cut this paper thin for fancy things and thick for things like Texas toast. It's super versatile.

💡Great Idea: Substitute up to half of the bread flour for whole wheat flour, depending on the type of flavor you like. Pullman loaves make great whole wheat bread!

Sliced homemade Pullman bread spread with butter.

👩‍🍳 FAQs

What is the difference between bread flour and all-purpose flour?

A Pullman loaf is a bread often used for sandwiches and French toast. It has a delicate texture, soft crumb, and slightly sweet flavor. Pullman loaf is made in a special pan with a sliding lid at the top that keeps the bread in a block shape as it bakes.

What's the difference between Pullman loaf and Pain de Mie?

Pain de mie is the French name for Pullman Loaf. There's no real differences between the two. Pain de Mie, loosely translated, means a loaf of bread with no crust — and that's pretty much what it is!

Why is this type of bread called a Pullman loaf?

The fun nickname originates with the Pullman railway company. The only bread they made was pain de mie in the special, square tin pan. Supposedly, the straight edges stacked together better than round loaves for more effective storage. Funnily enough, the loaves resembled the rectangular, angled shape of the Pullman cars, too!

What do the potato flakes do?

Potato starch holds onto water very well, which makes this type of bread extra moist and soft!

Can I use instant yeast, instead of active dry?

You can! Unlike active dry yeast that needs "activation" (the first two steps of our recipe), instant yeast is ready to go right off the bat. So, just mix it into the ingredients and go on with the recipe!

Do I have to use a Pullman loaf (pain de mie) pan?

Nope. You can bake in any type of loaf pan. You can bake it in anything you want and you'll have delicious homemade bread - but it's not pain de mie without the special pan.

What does Pullman bread tast like?

The loaf is mild, slightly sweet, and not too "yeasty" with a delicate, velvety crumb that stays soft.

📚 Related recipes

Y'all know I make a lot of bread. It is relaxing and makes the house smell like home - much better than any candle! Here are some of my favorites -

  • Amish White Bread is a slightly sweet, velvety-textured, homemade bread that’s perfect for sandwiches. You may have heard it called milk bread. You can make this recipe by hand or in a bread machine – both instructions are included
  • English Muffin Bread has all of those nooks and crannies and craters of an English muffin but in a quick, no-knead toasting bread loaf. It’s a fragrant batter bread with that distinct yeasty flavor that we all love.
  • Multi-Grain is full of healthy ingredients and a generous splash of honey to give it just enough sweetness. It makes a hearty sandwich or the crunchiest toast imaginable.
  • Honey Oatmeal Bread is an old-fashioned classic. It’s moist, soft, and a little chewy with a slightly sweet honey and oat flavor that makes it irresistible. This is my go-to bread for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!!
  • Honey Buttermilk Bread is so easy that even a beginner can do it! It’s the best bread ever for sandwiches with a velvety crumb with a slightly sweet flavor that comes from honey.
  • A sliced loaf of olive bread on a breadboard.
    Kalamata Olive Bread
  • Slices of freshly baked muesli bread showing the dried fruit inside.
    Muesli Bread Recipe: Dried Fruit, Nuts, and Whole Grains
  • Slices of onion cheese bread on a white plate.
    Onion Cheese Yeast Bread Recipe
  • Close up of the swirl in the tomato swirl bread.
    Swirled Tomato Bread

🫶 We recommend

The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

These are the tools and products I use in this recipe.

  • Pullman loaf pan
  • Kitchen aid mixer

📞 The last word

This is one of my favorite breads to make. When you take the cover off (careful not to burn yourself) the aroma that wafts up into your face will have you drooling!

I like it cut about 1 ½ inches thick because then it's just right for a toast base for creamed chicken or a saucy type topping. It doesn't get soggy. It's also my favorite thickness for French Toast when I'm not using my quick Brioche.

This is perfect for s'mores stuffed French toast!

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

If you love this recipe please comment below & give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

Overhead view of slices of pullman loaf bread on a cutting board.
4.89 from 17 votes

Pullman Loaf, AKA Pain de Mie Bread

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Pullman loaf, also called Pain de Mie, is a mild bread with a delicate flavor and velvety crumb. It is baked in a special bread pan so that it is perfectly squared off and has the thinnest crust possible. Great for French Toast.
Course Bread
Cuisine Amercian Heritage
Prep Time: 2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
Total Time: 2 hours hours 55 minutes minutes
Servings:24 slices
Calories:132
Author:Marye Audet-White
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Equipment Needed

  • Stand mixer
  • Pullman Loaf Pan

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
  • 1 cup water, spring water is best
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • ⅔ cup milk, whole milk
  • 6 tablespoons butter, unsalted, melted and cooled to room temp.
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ¼ cup nonfat dry milk powder
  • 3 tablespoons dehydrated mashed potato flakes run through the blender, don't reconstitute them - add them dry.
  • 4 ½ cups bread flour, up to 5 cups

I earn a commission from Instacart from qualifying purchases.

Instructions

  • Add the yeast and sugar to the water.
  • Set it aside for 10 minutes until it is bubbly and looks creamy.
  • Add the milk, melted butter, and 2 cups of flour and mix well.
  • Mix in the salt, dry milk powder, and mashed potato flakes.
  • Add more flour, a little at a time, until the dough is smooth and soft.
  • Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, grease the top of the dough, and cover with a tea towel.
  • Let rise for 2 hours, or until double in bulk - or overnight in the refrigerator.
  • Lightly grease a 13 x 4-inch pain de mie pan.
  • Gently press down the dough and shape it into a 13-inch log.
  • Fit it into the pan.
  • Cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap and let the dough rise unil it is just below the lip of the pan, about an hour but possibly more.
  • Remove the plastic.
  • Lightly grease the inside of the cover and slide it onto the pan.
  • Let the dough rise for an additional 10 minutes or so while the oven is preheating to 350F.
  • Bake the bread for 25 minutes.
  • Remove the pan from the oven and take off the cover.
  • Return the loaf to the oven and bake it for an additional 20 minutes, or until the bread tests done. An instant read thermometer, inserted into the center, will read 190F.
  • Remove the bread from the oven and place on a rack to cool completely, taking the loaves out of the pans after 10 minutes.

Notes

Storage:
Pullman loaves are best enjoyed within three or four days of baking. Just keep covered at room temperature.
However, you can also freeze the bread for up to three months. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap then in aluminum foil.
Tips:
  • Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature unless otherwise indicated.
  • If you have time make it the day before and let it rise overnight in the refrigerator for the first rise, before shaping.
  • If you don't have a pullman loaf pan you can spray any loaf pan really well with nonstick bake spray, then add about ½ the dough, spray nonstick spray on a sheet of aluminum foil and cover tightly , sealing it on the loaf pan. NOW wrap the loaf pan with a couple of layers of aluminum flour tightly. It's not perfect but it will work.
  • This bread freezes like a charm. I like to slice it and freeze it with parchment between the slices so I can use just what I need.
  • Let it cool completely before cutting. You can cut this paper thin for fancy things and thick for things like Texas toast. It's super versatile.
  • You can make whole wheat pain de mie by substituting whole wheat flour for up to half the bread flour.
You'll find more helpful tips and variations in the body of the post.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 132kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 232mg | Potassium: 78mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 127IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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    First published April 22, 2014. Last updated August 14, 2023, with new images and improved readability.

    What’s new? Check out my Restless Chipotle & Co. Store on Amazon where you'll find all kinds of nostalgic goodness!  Thanks so much for being a part of Restless Chipotle!

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    About Marye

    With a 40 year focus on the importance of family and a passion for southern comfort food, Marye Audet-White is an expert in melding the two together effortlessly. Marye's a NY Times Bestselling author with 10 cookbooks under her belt and her recipes have been featured in Good Housekeeping, Country Living, Today, House Beautiful, Texas Living, Food & Wine, and many more.

    Reader Interactions

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      Love it? Give it 5 stars!




    1. Jan

      August 23, 2023 at 2:25 pm

      I don't see any mention of the butter in the instructions. It's in the ingredients list. When should it be added in?
      Thanks

      Reply
      • Marye

        August 25, 2023 at 7:49 am

        Hi Jan - it goes in with the milk. 🙂

        Reply
    2. bev

      February 15, 2023 at 6:49 pm

      5 stars
      Marye,I made this bread today..It is awesome! So easy,flavor is very good..Loved it as all your breads are so good..Thank you for sharing your recipes with us..I have not made a one bread of yours or cakes or anything you share ,that I had to throw away..Your recipes are awesome..Thank you again..Bev

      Reply
    3. Patricia

      February 02, 2020 at 11:19 am

      you have 6 T of butter, melted and cooled in the recipe but you do not have it in the directions. When do you add it?

      Reply
      • Marye

        February 03, 2020 at 3:05 pm

        Oooops! Add it with the mashed potato flakes and salt

        Reply
    4. Martha

      October 08, 2019 at 9:23 pm

      I just bought a 9” Pullman loaf pan. Do you have a smaller version of this recipe, or suggest how it can be adjusted to fit my pan? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Marye

        October 09, 2019 at 9:21 am

        I think you can just halve the recipe. Hover over the serving sizes and move the bar down to half the number of servings and it will change the measurements.

        Reply
      • Martha

        October 18, 2019 at 6:34 pm

        Oh, I didn’t know I could do that. That’s so helpful and takes the guesswork out of reducing the ingredient measurements. Thank you very much.

        Reply
        • Marye

          October 21, 2019 at 8:42 am

          You're welcome. You'll find many helps for using the site here - https://www.restlesschipotle.com/essentials-for-success/

    5. Kristen

      February 05, 2015 at 7:12 pm

      Wow! Look out Wonder Bread, there's a much better bread in town. That is simply a gorgeous loaf!!

      Reply
    6. Laura @MotherWouldKnow

      February 05, 2015 at 4:32 pm

      The bread looks great and I'd love to try it, but what really catches my eye is your fabulous Pullman loaf pan. If I got into the habit of making bread, I'd definitely treat myself to one. Your description of French toast is just about the way I do it - we should have a virtual brunch some weekend, munching on French toast and slurping coffee or tea as we relax. PS - Challah is the bread I prefer for french toast.

      Reply
      • TeriC

        January 08, 2023 at 1:45 pm

        Thank you for sharing your expertise with us all. I just started playing with homemade breads and I think it’s been a hit. I came home from town yesterday after making a loaf the night before and more than 2/3 of it was gone, along with 2 some butter I had set out to soften for another recipe ! Hubby was the only one home!! Thanks again! I will be trying many recipes of yours!!

        Reply
    7. Ashley (QLCC)

      February 05, 2015 at 4:05 pm

      Wow, this looks just like bagged bread, and I'm sure it tastes even better! Great job 🙂

      Reply
    8. Blessing

      February 05, 2015 at 2:05 pm

      Very soft and delicious bread indeed. Thanks for the detailed step by step procedures, I will try it out soon. Thanks

      Reply
    9. Bobbie

      August 12, 2014 at 3:39 pm

      where would I buy one of theses pans?

      Reply
      • Marye Audet

        August 13, 2014 at 6:49 am

        Click on the pullman pan link just above the recipe. It will take you to amazon - they have a variety of them and the prices are good. It's where I got mine. If you do buy on from Amazon I need to let you know that I will get a small commission which helps keep the blog online. THanks!

        Reply

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