Pullman loaf recipe or cube bread recipe with step-by-step pictures. Cube bread or cube shaped bread is very popular sandwich bread. The bread is made using basic ingredients like flour, water, yeast, sugar and salt but the dough is shaped in special loaf pan called as Pullman's loaf pan which gives it the authentic cube shape.
Pullman Loaf Recipe
I bought this bread mould few months back and nearly forgot about it. Couple days back I saw the loaf pan and decided to bake a bread. I figured out the proper measurement for the bread and got into action. To my surprise the bread turned out super soft and cute in shape.
About Pullman Loaf Recipe
This loaf of bread is very easy to make and it is made using a special loaf pan called as Pullman's loaf pan. The bread is made using basic ingredients like flour, sugar, salt, yeast, egg and oil. It is a very basic standard bread recipe. The bread gets it unique shape through the pain and it stays so soft.
I used one egg in the recipe but you can skip egg totally. Check my notes section for egg alternative. I used this pullman loaf pan from amazon.
Similar Recipes,
Whole Wheat Bread
Multi Grain Bread
Oats Honey Bread
Milk Honey Bread
Garlic and herb bread
How to Activate yeast for bread making
1)take warm water in a bowl. Use Luke warm water. Dip your finger in the water and it should be very warm. Just like a warm bath water.
2)sprinkle little sweetness like sugar, honey. Because yeast loves warm and sweet environment.
3)now sprinkle yeast over it. I use dry yeast.
4) leaves aside for 5 mins to activate. The yeast mix should be bubbly and foamy. This means yeast is activated.
How to Make Soft Bread
The Yeast Mix: Mix together milk with little sugar and yeast in a bowl. to activate the yeast.
The Dough: Making the dough in a stand mixer is best. Since the dough is sticky. Add all ingredients to the stand mixer. Use dough hook attachment in the mixer and mix till it comes together.
Butter or oil : You can use olive oil in buns. but butter makes the bread so rich and buttery.
Proofing of the Dough: Leave the dough to rise in a warm spot for 1 to 2 hours till it is doubled in size.
Final Proof: Shape the loaf. Leave to rise for 30 mins to 1 hour. If you let it rise for longer, the bun may collapse when baking.
Baking: Bake the bread till it is done.
Resting: Rest the bread for few hours before slicing for even slices.
How to Get Square Shaped Bread
For getting proper square shaped bread. Place the dough into the loaf pan. Cover and let it rise. The dough should rise till the top. There should be 1 inch gap between the lid so the bread gets it cube shape beautifully when baked.
Ingredients for Pullman Loaf Recipe
- 300 ml Warm Water
- 1 ½ tsp Dry Yeast
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 31/2 cups All Purpose Flour (Maida)
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 Egg
- 2 tbsp Oil or Melted Butter
How to Make Pullman Loaf Recipe
Activating yeast
Start by activating yeast. Take warm water, sugar and yeast in a bowl. Set aside for 5 mins so the yeast can activate. It will get foamy and bubbly.
Wet Ingredients
Now to the foamy yeast mixture. Add in egg and oil. You can use melted butter instead of oil. mix well and Set aside.
Making Bread Dough
Now in a stand mixer bowl, take flour, salt and mix well. Add in the yeast mixture and start kneading for 5 mins. The dough will be pretty soft and sticky. If you are using hands to knead, first use spoon to mix the water into the flour and then use your hands to knead. If you feel the dough is very sticky, you can sprinkle some flour into the dough and knead. Once the dough is mixed well, turn off the mixer and remove the bowl.
First Proofing
Finally add in 1 tsp oil into the dough and spread evenly. Cover and let it rise for 1 to 2 hours till double in size.
Preparing Loaf Pan
Now take your pullman loaf pan. Apply oil on it, don’t forget to grease the lid as well. Set this aside.
Now take the proofed dough, spread it evenly. Fold from both sides and fold from other side as well. So it forms into a ball like. Seam the ends together and gently remove it.
Final proofing
Place the seam side down into the loaf pan. Cover and let it rise for another 35 to 40 mins. The dough should rise till the top. There should be 1 inch gap between the lid so the bread gets it cube shape beautifully when baked.
Baking
During the last 15 mins of the final rising. Preheat oven to 200 degree C. Pop the pan into the oven and let it bake for 25 to 30 mins. Remove the pan from oven, let it cool for 30 mins. Un mould and let it cool completely for few hours before slicing.
📖 Recipe
Pullman Loaf Recipe | Cube Bread Recipe | Pullman Sandwich Bread Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 300 ml Warm Water
- 1 ½ tsp Dry Yeast
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 31/2 cups All Purpose Flour (adjust as needed)
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 Egg
- 2 tbsp (+1 tbsp ) Oil or Melted Butter
Instructions
- Start by activating yeast. Take warm water, sugar and yeast in a bowl. Set aside for 5 mins so the yeast can activate. It will get foamy and bubbly.
- Now to the foamy yeast mixture. Add in egg and oil. You can use melted butter instead of oil. mix well and Set aside.
- Now in a stand mixer bowl, take flour, salt and mix well. Add in the yeast mixture and start kneading for 5 mins. The dough will be pretty soft and sticky. If you are using hands to knead, first use spoon to mix the water into the flour and then use your hands to knead. If you feel the dough is very sticky, you can sprinkle some flour into the dough and knead. Once the dough is mixed well, turn off the mixer and remove the bowl.
- Finally add in 1 tsp oil into the dough and spread evenly. Cover and let it rise for 1 to 2 hours till double in size.
- Now take your pullman loaf pan. Apply oil on it, don’t forget to grease the lid as well. Set this aside.
- Now take the proofed dough, spread it evenly. Fold from both sides and fold from other side as well. So it forms into a ball like. Seam the ends together and gently remove it.
- Place the seam side down into the loaf pan. Cover and let it rise for another 35 to 40 mins. The dough should rise till the top. There should be 1 inch gap between the lid so the bread gets it cube shape beautifully when baked.
- During the last 15 mins of the final rising. Preheat oven to 200 degree C. Cover the pan with lid. Pop the pan into the oven and let it bake for 25 to 30 mins.
- Remove the pan from oven, let it cool for 30 mins. Un mould and let it cool completely for few hours before slicing.
Video
Notes
- Make sure you use warm water and not hot. If your water is hot then your yeast will die.
- Instead of water, milk can be used for more soft bread. But bread made with milk doesn’t stay good longer. You might want to store the bread in fridge.
- Kneading is key to making good bread. While kneading by hand can be therapeutic using a stand mixer is easier and quicker.
- Always preheat the oven for at least 10 minutes before you place bread in or the low temperature will spread the dough too much.
- Baking bread in pullman loaf pan gives you the cube shape. you can use the same recipe to bake the bread in a regular loaf pan.
Pullman Loaf Recipe Step by Step pictures
1) Start by activating yeast. Take warm water, sugar.
2)Add yeast in a bowl.
3)Set aside for 5 mins so the yeast can activate. It will get foamy and bubbly.
4)Now to the foamy yeast mixture. Add in egg.
5)Add oil. You can use melted butter instead of oil.
6)mix well and Set aside.
7)Now in a stand mixer bowl, take flour, salt and mix well. Add in the yeast mixture and start kneading for 5 mins.
8)The dough will be pretty soft and sticky. If you are using hands to knead, first use spoon to mix the water into the flour and then use your hands to knead.
9)If you feel the dough is very sticky, you can sprinkle some flour into the dough and knead. Once the dough is mixed well, turn off the mixer and remove the bowl.
10)Finally add in 1 tsp oil into the dough and spread evenly. Cover and let it rise for 1 to 2 hours till double in size.
11)Now take your pullman loaf pan. Apply oil on it, don’t forget to grease the lid as well. Set this aside.
12)Now take the proofed dough, spread it evenly. Fold from both sides and fold from other side as well. So it forms into a ball like. Seam the ends together and gently remove it.
13)Place the seam side down into the loaf pan. Cover and let it rise for another 35 to 40 mins. The dough should rise till the top.
14)There should be 1 inch gap between the lid so the bread gets it cube shape beautifully when baked.
15)During the last 15 mins of the final rising. Preheat oven to 200 degree C. Cover the pan with lid. Pop the pan into the oven and let it bake for 25 to 30 mins.
16)Remove the pan from oven, let it cool for 30 mins. Un mould and let it cool completely for few hours before slicing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why my bread is not rising? My dough is not doubling up? Why my bread is dense?
The answer to all these questions may lie on one ingredient which is yeast.
1)You must have added yeast to too hot water so the yeast has died.
2)You have used cold water so yeast didn’t activated.
3)Your yeast is expired.
How to Store yeast for longer shelf life?
Always store yeast in freezer in an air right container.
Can you over knead dough?
If you think you've over-kneaded the dough, try letting it rise a little longer before shaping it.
What happens if I don't knead my dough enough?
If you don't knead your dough enough by hand or if you don't allow it enough time in your mixer, the dough will lack strength. Once baked, an under-kneaded bread loaf will be flat and dense in texture
What are the square breads called?
It is also called as pullman, cube bread.
Tips & Tricks
- Make sure you use warm water and not hot. If your water is hot then your yeast will die.
- Instead of water, milk can be used for more soft bread. But bread made with milk doesn’t stay good longer. You might want to store the bread in fridge.
- Kneading is key to making good bread. While kneading by hand can be therapeutic using a stand mixer is easier and quicker.
- Always preheat the oven for at least 10 minutes before you place bread in or the low temperature will spread the dough too much.
- Baking bread in pullman loaf pan gives you the cube shape. you can use the same recipe to bake the bread in a regular loaf pan.
If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @[email protected] and I’ll help as soon as I can.
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Salma
Hello! I have a question, the Amazon link that you shared for the Pullman Loaf Pan is the same pan that you used for this recipe?
I have the same pan but I wasn't sure how much flour I needed to make a loaf of bread. Glad I found your recipe!