Thermomix Bahn Mi – Vietnamese Bread Rolls
Have you ever had a BBQ pork Bahn Mi (Vietnamese roll)? Be carefu, as they’re quite addictive. Even though I make them myself, there are a couple of shops that I occasionally have to pass on my way to suppliers. I make sure I’m passing at lunchtime, so that I can grab one of these.
You know it’s a little hard to get the light, airy quality of commercially made Bahn Mi at home. You can get things from Pastry or Bread suppliers that help with this process, but for most of us, they’re a bit hard to come by.
I’ve developed this recipe for the Thermomix with ingredients that you can purchase from the supermarket. I’ve made it in the Thermomix because I tend to use it most of the time and its always on my bench! But of course, you could do it in a stand mixer, or develop your muscles and go at it by hand if you like.
Where I’ve written in the method to knead for 3 minutes in the Thermomix, give it 6 minutes in a stand mixer, and I’d probably give it 8 minutes of kneading if I were going to do it by hand.
Thermomix Bahn Mi at home
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becs-table.com.auEquipment
- Thermomix
Ingredients
- 480 g Plain flour or bread flour
- 30 g Corn Flour
- 10 g salt
- 5 g Instant yeast
- 2 1/2 tsp caster sugar
- 300 g water
- 30 g vinegar
- You will need two small baking trays or one large
- You will need a water spritzer bottle
- You will need a lame razor blade or really sharp knife
Instructions
- Weigh all the dry ingredients into the TM bowl, with the MC in place mix for 5 seconds/speed 5 then remove to a bowl and set aside
- Weigh the water and vinegar into the TM bowl and with the MC out, set to heat for 3 minutes / 40 °c / speed 1
- When the time is up, dump the whole flour mixture back into the TM bowl and with the Mc in place mix for 5 seconds/speed 5 then set to knead for 3 minutes.
- Leaving the dough in the bowl is the best option for proving as it will still be warm, so I leave it in the bowl with the MC in place for 1 hour
- When the time is up, set for 10 seconds / knead This should give around 2 1/2 to 3 short turns then you leave it again with the MC in place for another hour.
- When the time is up, set again for 10 seconds / knead and this time with the MC in place leave to rest for 30 minutes. (you’ll notice it proves faster now, more about that another time)
- When this third prove is done, set for 3 seconds/speed 5, then remove the dough from the bowl. (This last step makes it easier to remove the dough from the bowl and blades. Also, your dough should be pulled away from the bowl at this stage.)
- Now cut your dough into 4 – 6 pieces. (if you want all your rolls uniform in size 6 rolls = roughly 135 gm each /4 rolls = around 200 gm each) One at a time cup the dough in the palm of your and roll them on the bench until they form a ball and let them sit for 15 minutes (cover with a tea towel)
- Now shape them into bread rolls. Take one ball at a time and press it out into an oval shape. You want to flatten them, so they’re only about 1 cm thick, then on the short edge begin to roll them up until you have a sausage shape.
- Set them onto a lined baking sheet or a non-stick baking sheet (leave plenty of room for them to expand) and cover again with the tea towel and let the prove for about an hour or until doubled in size.
- If you don't have a smart steam oven that proves, you can still use your oven as a proving chamber. With the oven turned off, pop a roasting pan on the bottom shelf, fill the roasting pan with boiling water from the jug, about 2 cups is good. This will warm the interior and create enough steam in the oven to help give your rolls a crispy outside.
- Slash a line all the way down the centre of each roll; this is important so your bread can expand in the oven making it light and airy. The slice needs to be about 2/3rds of a cm deep.
- Once the rolls have doubled, leaving them in the oven turn it to 200°C and bake.
- Bake until a deep golden brown. Leave to cool completely, before cutting, or they will lose moisture and stale quickly
- The crunch doesn’t last long so eat em quick.
Notes
- Heat the oven, and when it’s at temperature, fill the jug and pop it on to boil.
- Place an oven tray of some sort on the bottom shelf of your oven.
- Once the jug has boiled fill the tray with the boiling water around 2 cups is good.
- Place the bread rolls in the oven (on a tray), leave with the door closed until they’ve doubled in size. This method isn’t suitable for every type of bread, but it is for most. If you have a huge oven, it might need more than 2 cups.
- When you take the rolls out, you’ll see they are a little damp on the surface, and they should be doubled in size. When you move the tray, they should jiggle just a little like jelly. Yes, you can accidentally overprove; only experience will teach you that one.
- You can leave them on the tray in the oven and turn it on.
- Leave them in there until a deep golden brown.
Want to know more?
Do you know you can use the method I’ve written for rolling and proving for other bread rolls? Whatever recipe you choose, long rolls, soft bread rolls, torpedo bread rolls, sub rolls. Different recipe ingredients use the same method. Go for it; it’s easy!
This is another recipe that I share in our Facebook group. One of the girls tried it, but they didn’t look quite the same. After some discussion, we worked out that she more than likely had an issue with the weighing of the liquid. I had promised that I’d share a video on how I form and prove my rolls to help her out.
Please adapt the total time. I was a bit tricked into trying the recipe without looking at the steps first, and the time for the dough totals 3.5h already, having to let it sit three times for an hour, and once for half an hour (plus the 15 min I didn’t even include). Altogether, you’re closer to 4 hours. Please note that this comment was written on a very empty, grumbling stomach waiting for the bloody dough to be done.
Hey Tino,
I’m sorry that the times disappointed you. When I make them, that’s how long they take. Proving dough is always a tricky one. There are so many variables. Times written in a recipe are usually only there for people who aren’t sure what proved dough should look like; in this case, if the dough isn’t proved enough it won’t be Bahn Mi. If I could suggest something, though. Always read the full recipe first; that’s what I always teach; if you do that, you won’t find yourself hungry again.
Hey Rebecca,
yeah, definitely will read from now on 😉 just completely misjudged the time and was *slightly* hungry. Also, that was the first bread I ever baked, so perhaps *slightly* stupid on my part. It did turn out great in the end, though, so the waiting paid off – even had it Vietnamese-approved, so couldn’t be happier! 🙂
No worries Tino,
I’m glad they worked out well. All good then. ?
Regards
Bec
I tried these Banh Mi rolls today and they were just delicious. I found them really easy to make and tasted delicious. Thank you.
Thank you Marilyn,
We love them too. 😉
Hi ! what type of vinegar is suitable for this recipe pls ?
Hey Yvonne, You can use pretty much anything that is light in colour. White, apple cider, white wine. Just remember you really need to proooooove them. 😉
Regards Bec
Thanks bec. I’ve just down the dough. Just wondering, what are we looking for after each proof? Double size? Where I am, it’s about 30 degrees Celsius, hence I’m wondering if I need 1 hour proof time inside the jug for steps 4&5. Thank you
Hey Yvonne,
Yep, you are looking for double in size. If you can prove with a humid atmosphere that’s even better. I often boil some water or use a heat bag in my microwave then pop my dough in to prove. Anything like that is great. To get them at the lightest you can they sort of wobble. I’ll have to do it one day and take a video to show people.
Regards Bec.