← Nouns Cooking · Vietnamese

Ingredients

• 270 ml warm water
• 10 g Sugar
• 7 g instant or active dry yeast (1 sachet)
• 500 g Strong bread flour
• 6 g Salt
• 1 Eggs, beaten
• 25 g butter, melted (or 2 tbsp oil)

Method

1. Stir the sugar and yeast into the warm water and leave for 5 min until foamy.
2. Add the flour, salt, egg and butter and knead for 10 min by hand (or 8 min in a mixer) until the dough is smooth, elastic and stretches thin without tearing. Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hour until doubled.
3. Knock back the dough and divide into 6 equal pieces. Round them into balls, cover and rest for 10 min.
4. Flatten each ball into an oval, then roll it up tightly from the long side, pinching the seam, and roll under your palms into a 20 cm log with tapered ends. Set seam-side down on a lined tray, spaced well apart.
5. Cover loosely and proof for 45 min–1 hour until almost doubled. A low oven with a dish of boiling water on the bottom shelf keeps them warm and moist.
6. Heat the oven to 230°C (450°F) with an empty tray on the bottom shelf. Slash each roll once along its length with a sharp blade held at a low angle and mist with water.
7. Pour a cup of hot water into the empty tray for steam and bake for 15–18 min, misting once more after 5 min, until deep golden and hollow-sounding. Cool on a rack; the crust crackles as it cools.

Tips

• Bánh mì are best the day they are baked; revive day-old rolls in a hot oven for 5 min.
• High-protein bread flour gives the tallest, lightest rolls.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Vicky Pham Sift & Simmer Savory Sweet Spoon