Finally, A Square

Remember my earlier post about my almost square Pullman loaf ?  It bugged me so much that I jumped at the earliest opportunity to attempt it again when my mom asked for a breakfast loaf.  I am pleased to report that the outcome is no less than a perfect square :)

The recipe below is adapted from here and is for a 4 x 4 x 12 inches Pullman pan.  As my Pullman pan is only 4 x 4 x 9 inches, I adjusted the flour to 300 g and everything else accordingly. 

You will need: 

250 ml whole milk 

300 g bread flour 

25 g sugar

25 g unsalted butter (soft), plus extra to coat the Pullman pan

5 g salt

3 g instant yeast

Preparation: 

Put all the ingredients (except for the butter) in the pan of the bread machine according to the manufacturer's instructions.  Select the dough function.  Add the butter after about 5 minutes.


To knead the dough by hand, simply put the flour and yeast in a bowl. Stir to combine.  Add the sugar and salt, and stir again.  Make a well in the centre of the flour. Pour milk into the well, and mix to make a soft, moist dough.


Place the dough onto a clean, lightly floured surface and, with lightly floured hands, knead for 5 - 10 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic.  Add the butter into the dough, and continue to knead for another 10 - 15 minutes until the dough is no longer sticking to the surface and your hands.

Place the dough into a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for about one hour, until the dough has doubled in size.


Generously brush the Pullman loaf pan with butter, making sure to coat the underside of the lid, as well as the bottom and sides of the pan.  Set aside. 

When the dough program has finished (if using machine) or the dough has risen, take the dough out of the machine / bowl.  Place it onto a clean floured surface and punch down.  Roll out the dough to a 9-by-8 inch rectangle, with a long side facing you. 

Starting at the top, roll the dough toward you, gently pressing to form a tight log.  Gently roll the log back and forth to seal the final seam.  Place the loaf, seam side down, in the prepared pan, and slide the lid three-quarters of the way closed.  

Let rise in a warm place until the dough fills up three-quarters of the pan, about 30 - 45 minutes.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 210 deg Celsius. 

Close the lid completely and bake, rotating pan halfway through, until loaf is light golden brown, about 35 minutes.

Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.  Remove bread from pan, and let cool completely before slicing.