help with pan de mie!

Hi Kitteh,

Perhaps not as scary as you imagine. Here's how I do it: Gently dump the bulk-risen dough on a lightly floured surface then gently pat it into a rough square about the width of your pan. Using the sides of both hands lift the back edge of the dough and begin rolling it towards you. Roll tightly enough to avoid any air gaps between layers, but don't squash the dough. When the rolling is complete, pinch the final edge into the dough to seal the seam.

If the roll is too long or short for your pan, you can lay both hands on top of the dough and roll it towards and away from you while gently moving  your floured hands towards (shorter) or away (longer) from each other. To finish the ends, I like to do a sort of gentle karate chop with the edge of my palm, stretching the top layers to the counter then pressing firmly to seal them. Finish by tucking the squished ends under where the seam is and pinching to seal them.

Finally, lift the roll into the pan with both hands, seam side down. If the roll doesn't fit nicely into the corners,You can gently push along the axis of the roll until it "flows" into the corner. (I just realized how many times I've said "gently". My purpose is to avoid smashing down all the little bubbles in the dough). A final little tip: Put your pan near the dough while  you are creating the initial square and the final roll. Eyeball the width you need so you are close to the right length when you plop it in the pan.

I hope I haven't over-explained, but I find pan shaping contributes to the nice final look of a well done dough. Good luck!

Bread is trouble to make, and it also takes patience.  All of that folding, stretching, and shaping is that which orients the molecules so that they hold the loaf together.  With pain de mie it is especially important due to the extra rising necessary to make the loaf so light.  Good luck!

Ford