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Welcome to my Kitchen and my Bookshelf where I pair a delicious recipe with a wonderful book! Today, we will enjoy a classic french sandwich loaf baked in a pullman loaf pan…a really easy way to keep a fresh loaf of bread on hand for grilled cheese and french toast. Speaking of french toast, bonus recipe, I will make a Hong Kong French Toast to connect with some sweet and humorous picture books. I have explored many recipes for Pain de Mie, my favorite recipe being from the famous Poilane Bakery in Paris. I first learned of the technique from Masterclass. I could not wait to try out Apollonia's recipe. It is amazing and multi-stepped and definitely my "go-to" recipe. However, as I was exploring other recipes, I concluded that the home baker could use a more streamlined approach, which is why I am sharing the following recipe for you to try from Culinary Exploration. The differences in these two recipes, when it comes down to it, are how to fold in the softened butter, how long to rest the dough, and how to fold the dough for rising. Both recipes, though, are good! Maybe start with the following recipe, then try your hand at the Poilane Bakery Pain de Mie. Do you need a Pullman Loaf pan and which size? Well, forgive me for saying this, but if you would like the proper square shaped loaf, a proper pan is best HOWEVER, this should not stop you from making the recipe in a standard loaf pan. The taste and texture will be quite nice and you will still have a lovely loaf. You will see that I could not find the lid for my pan, so I placed a sheet pan on top of the loaf while it was rising and baking. It can be done!! As far as the size, usually the recipe will state which size is best for the amount of dough being created, but honestly, whichever size you use, just be sure to check on the rising and baking periodically to adjust, as necessary. Pain de Mie Ingredients: Bread Flour, Yeast, Honey, Milk, Salt But what to do with all of this lovely bread? French Toast, of course. And, not just any french toast but the Hong Kong Style French Toast from Christie at Home. Simply divine! This particular version is quite rich and hearty filled with protein to start your day. Need some background history of French Toast? Try the historical information found here at Little Passports. (Little Passports does a great job of introducing cooking to our little and not so little kiddos.) French Toast Ingredients: Sliced Pain de Mie, Peanut butter, Eggs, Sweetened Condensed Milk Make sure to share your bread and french toast with your loved ones ALONG with two wonderful picture books.  French Toast by Kari-Lynn Winters (Author) François Thisdale (Illustrator) "Phoebe--half Jamaican, half French-Canadian--hates her school nickname of "French Toast." So she is mortified when, out on a walk with her Jamaican grandmother, she hears a classmate shout it out at her. To make things worse, Nan-Ma, who is blind, wants an explanation of the name. How can Phoebe describe the color of her skin to someone who has never seen it? "Like tea, after you've added the milk," she says. And her father? "Like warm banana bread." And Nan-Ma herself? She is like maple syrup poured over...well... In French Toast, Kari-Lynn Winters uses favorite foods from both of Phoebe's cultures to celebrate the varied skin tones of her family. François Thisdale's imaginative illustrations fill the landscape with whimsy and mouthwatering delight as Phoebe realizes her own resilience and takes ownership of her nickname proudly." ~Bookshop.org  Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast, Volume 1
Josh Funk (Author) Brendan Kearney (Illustrator) A thoroughly delicious rhyming story about the funniest food fight ever--perfect for fans of The Food Group series. Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast have a beautiful friendship--until they discover that there's only one drop of maple syrup left! The race is ON! Off they go, racing past the Orange Juice Fountain, skiing through Sauerkraut Peak, and reeling down the linguini.But who will enjoy the sweet taste of victory? And could working together be better than tearing each other apart? |
