One of my fondest childhood memories revolves around the perfectly square sandwiches my mom used to pack for my school lunches. Each morning, I’d eagerly unwrap my lunchbox to reveal my meals made with love and care. What made these sandwiches extra special was the bread—my mom’s homemade bread. It was soft, fluffy, and perfectly square. I remember how it would squish gently when I took a bite, the crust revealing a pillowy interior that practically melted in my mouth. It was the only bread we use for butter sandwiches or jam sandwiches. I don’t ever remember eating a dinner roll or any other bread with butter, jam, or peanut butter Now, as a parent myself, I find myself recreating this cherished tradition for my own kids. I take just as much care in making their sandwiches as my mom did for me. Watching my kids dig into their sandwiches brings me immeasurable joy. It’s a simple pleasure, to be sure, but one that connects us across generations and brings back cherished memories of childhood. In a world that often moves too fast, there’s something comforting about slowing down and savoring the simple things in life – like a perfectly square sandwich made with love and shared with those we hold dear.

What is Pullman bread?

All bread made in a loaf pan can be used to make sandwiches, and yet to be characterized as a Pullman sandwich bread, you must have four square corners. Yup!! That’s the defining characteristic of this bread. That shape comes from using a specific loaf pan that has a nifty sliding lid. You actually bake the bread with the lid on. So when the bread rises as it bakes it fills the corners of the pan on all sides, giving it those perfect square corners. I’m not really sure how true this really is, but I read somewhere that the Pullman railway company invented this bread, back in the old days, to make storage and transport easy. With this shape, they could stack the bread one on top of the other using space more efficiently. The texture of the Pullman sandwich bread is supposed to be soft, light, and fluffy. So, you must have a good recipe that’s just right for the pan you have, so it will give you a perfect bread, not too dense nor too limp.

Why make this bread?

This bread recipe tastes great and is quick and simple to prepare. Most of the ingredients are simple and easy to find or pantry staples. The dough is made with commercial yeast so the rise and proofing time is 60 to 90 minutes unlike the many hours needed to make sourdough bread with a sourdough starter. It’s really not that complicated. In fact, it is one of the simplest bread you can make in the kitchen. Follow the directions below and eat it fresh, or French toast it for breakfast. Because of its square sides, this classic pain de mie is the best bread to use for sandwiches. It has a light and airy yet soft tight crumb with a chewy texture. I am using a stand mixer with the dough hook but you can also use a bread machine. Pour all ingredients into the pan. Set to dough or manual. Start and let the dough run its cycle for about 9 to 10 minutes – continue with the recipe as shown above.

Step-by-step: Best Pullman sandwich bread recipe

Dough

Liquid ingredients – Ensure milk is warm, not hot (about 110 F). In a small bowl add the yeast, sugar, and egg. Stir and set aside to foam for 5 mins. Dry ingredients – In the large bowl of a stand mixer, with the dough hook attachment combine the flour and salt. Then, add the yeast mixture. Combine with a wooden spoon or rubber spatulaPro tip – If you do not like kneading, I highly recommend using a stand mixer with the hook attachment. Combine– Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and combine on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.Pro tip – Avoid the temptation to add more flour. We want soft, light, and fluffy bread, and this is only possible when the dough is soft, elastic, yet slightly sticky.

Knead – Once all the flour is incorporated, knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes on medium speed until smooth. The dough will be soft and sticky.Pro tip – A soft and sticky dough is a light and airy bread so don’t add more flour. Butter – Next, add the soft room-temperature butter a little at a time. knead again for another 10 to 12 minutes until smooth and elastic.Pro tip – When you add the butter it will seem like the dough is falling apart. Trust the process and keep kneading. It will become smooth and shiny. Bowl – Remove the dough from the mixer bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Shape it into a ball. Place in an oiled bowl.Pro tip – Using a flexible bread scraper does a good job of removing the sticky dough from the bowl.

Proof – Cover with plastic wrap or clean kitchen cloth. Leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour until doubled in volume.Pro tip – In winter, you may need 90 minutes or more. But in summer, the dough may double in 45 minutes. If you can’t attend to it at that moment, de-gas, reshape, and let double in volume again. Shape – When the dough is doubled in volume invert the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface. Start to roll like a jelly roll. Fold from the top to the center then again once more towards the end. Pinch the seams together.Pro tip – the idea is to fold the dough into a nice tight package. Folding helps strengthen the gluten strands and prevents loose floppy bread. Proof – Place into a buttered Pullman loaf pan seam side down. Cover the loaf pan with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen cloth. Let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes until almost 2 inches from the top rim of the loaf pan. Cover – Once you see your dough is almost halfway up the sides – spray the cover of the Pullman pan lid and place it on.Pro tip – you want to place the lid on before it rises to the top so you don’t ruin the rise.

Oven – Once you see your dough is almost halfway up the sides preheat the oven to 380°F / 190°C / Gas Mark 5 for at least 20 minutes. Bake – Place the loaf pans on a baking sheet and into the oven. Bake – the 13-inch loaf for about 45 to 50 minutes, – the 9-inch loaf for about 25 to 30 minutes, – and the 7-inch loaf for about 20 to 25 minutes.Pro tip – The bread is done – when you tap the bottom of your loaf and you will hear a hollow sound (or the internal temperature registers between 160° to 180°F on an instant-read thermometer. Cool – Partially open the lid and let it cool for 10 minutes – before you invert it onto a cooling rack. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel for 5 minutes to keep soft.Pro tip – Wrapping the bread in a kitchen cloth will let the steam cool in the bread keeping it soft. Note – Always let bread rest for at least an hour before you cut it – this is the hardest part!! But, it will prevent the steam from escaping and making the bread dry. Enjoy!

White sandwich bread recipe Brioche sandwich bread or Brioche Pullman Loaf No-knead sandwich bread Whole wheat sandwich bread Challah Sandwich Bread Challah Recipe – 3 strands, 4 strands, 5 strands, 6 strands See all Sandwich Bread recipes

Frequently asked questions

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Below you can see the difference between baking with and without the lid. Notice how the white sandwich bread (which I baked in the same pan without the lid) has risen above with a dome. While the second one is baked with four sharp corners when baked with the lid on? I have used these same pans to make all my sandwich bread such as a whole wheat sandwiches, Japanese shokupan, Brioche classic as well as Brioche Pullman

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