Authentic Banh Mi Bread (Vietnamese Baguette)

Ingrédients

• 3/4 cup + 3 tbsp water water (at room temperature)
• 3 cups bread flour ((at least 12% protein))
• 3/4 tsp bread improver
• 3/4 tsp instant dry yeast
• 3/4 tsp sugar
• 1/16 tsp vitamin C powder (or a 150mg tablet, crushed into powder)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp vegan butter (for brushing)

Préparation

1. 1

   Before starting: While I am also sharing measurements in cups, I strongly recommend using metric measurements for the water and flour to ensure more accurate results.

2. 2

   Preheat the oven. Preheat your oven to its lowest temperature (about 86°F/30°C). If it cannot go that low, just turn on the oven light. Place a baking dish or bowl filled with about 3 cups of boiling water in the bottom of the oven (this will create humidity and prevent the dough from drying during the proofing step). Grease two baguette pans with an oiled kitchen paper towel and set aside.

3. 3

   Combine all of the ingredients. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the water, bread flour, bread improver, instant dry yeast, sugar, and vitamin C.

4. 4

   Knead. Then, knead on speed 2 for about one minute, or until everything is combined. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides if needed. Add the salt and increase the speed to 8. Knead for another 7-8 minutes. Keep an eye on it as it will move due to its speed. The dough should be silky smooth and slightly sticky.

5. 5

   Divide into balls. Using slightly oiled hands, transfer the dough to a greased countertop or smooth surface. Divide the dough into six pieces, each weighing approximately 3.5 ounces (100g).

6. 6

   Shape the baguettes. Place one ball of dough on your greased working surface and use your hands to flatten the dough into a long, thin trapezoid of about 4 inches (10 cm) wide and 6 inches (15 cm) tall. Next, starting from the top of the trapezoid, roll into a log. Transfer to the greased baguette pan and repeat with the remaining balls of dough.

7. 7

   Proof. Place the baguette pans in the preheated oven and let them rise until they have almost quadrupled in size. This will take between 1 h 30 and 2 hours, depending on the temperature. Note: The dough should bounce back slightly when pressed. If it bounces back quickly, it’s underproofed.Once your dough has quadrupled in size, remove the pans from the oven.

8. 8

   Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 °F (200°C) and place either an iron skillet or a pan filled with lava rocks at the bottom. You will use it later to create steam.

9. 9

   Score. Once the oven is at the right temperature, use a razor blade to score each baguette with either one cut vertically or 2-3 cuts diagonally. Ensure you are holding your blade at a 45-degree angle when scoring.

10. 10

    Spray. Next, generously spray your baguettes with water. This will help them develop cracks. Set aside.

11. 11

    Create steam. Bring about 3 cups of water to a boil. Once boiling, pour it into the iron skillet or pan filled with lava rocks to create a lot of steam.

12. 12

    Bake. Right after pouring the hot water into the skillet or over the lava rocks, add your baguette pans to the oven and turn off the oven fan. By baking without the fan, you will keep a ton of moisture inside the oven. Bake for 7-8 minutes.

13. 13

    Remove the skillet/lava rocks. After 7-8 minutes, remove the iron skillet or pan filled with lava rocks. Bake the baguettes without steam for another 4-5 minutes or until evenly golden brown.

14. 14

    Remove from the oven. Finally, remove your golden brown bánh mì from the oven and let them cool. Within 5 minutes, you should hear the sound of a crackling fire and see cracks appear on the crust - that's one of the characteristics of a good banh mi!

15. 15

    Brush with butter. For a nice shine, lightly brush them with melted vegan butter and let them cool slightly before serving.

16. 16

    Banh mi are best eaten the same day, the crust is super crispy, and the crumb is so fluffy! You can keep them for up to 3 days at room temperature in a bread bag. They will become softer the next day, but you can reheat them in a preheated oven to make them crispy again.