Authentic Banh Mi Bread (Vietnamese Baguette)

Unlike standard French baguettes, banh mi is defined by its high rise, thin eggshell crust, and soft interior that stays light rather than chewy. This texture is not accidental: it depends on high-protein wheat flour, commercial bread improver, strong gluten development, and high oven steam.

The method I’m sharing here was developed using techniques Vân and I gathered from bakeries in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). We spend several months a year there. We then refined it through extensive testing to replicate the extract structure and flavor of bakery-style Vietnamese bread. The ingredient ratios, mixing speed, proofing, and steam method are all calibrated to produce a ton of steam and that signature crackly crust.

If you’ve tried authentic banh mi bread in Vietnam, you know the difference immediately: lighter than a French baguette, thinner crust, and a crumb that almost pulls like cotton candy. This recipe recreates that texture precisely.

If your goal is a true Vietnamese bakery-style banh mi, not just a good baguette, this is the recipe that delivers.

📙 Why This Recipe Works

Authentic banh mi is defined by two main characteristics: An extremely light, cottony crumb and a thin, crackled crust that shatters when pressed. Achieving that texture requires specific ingredients, control of gluten development, and high initial oven steam.

Here are the five key elements that make it work:

1. High-Protein Wheat Flour

Wheat flour with a high-protein content creates a strong gluten network that can trap more gas. Lower protein flour yields a denser, heavier crumb. I explain more about which flour to pick in the Ingredient Notes section below.

Result: High protein flour ➜ stronger gluten development ➜ lighter texture

2. Bread Improver

Authentic Vietnamese bakeries always rely on a commercial bread improver. Always. At least in Vietnam, and we’ve asked plenty. It is essential as it improves gas retention and dough stability during rising, allowing the loaves to nearly quadruple in size without collapsing.

Without it, the bread will resemble a standard baguette rather than a true Vietnamese banh mi. This is where many other recipes fall short. Those who will tell you that it’s not necessary do not know what they are talking about.

Result: Bread improver ➜ improves structure ➜ longer, stronger rise ➜ ultra-light crumb

3. High-Speed Kneading

The dough is intentionally kneaded at high speed to fully develop the gluten, resulting in a better structure. You can’t knead it by hand – you will need a stand mixer for this recipe.

4. Controlled Proofing

The shaped loaves proof for 90-120 minutes in a warm, humid environment (like Vietnam!) until almost quadrupled in size. This is done by proofing the loaves in an oven with a dish filled with hot water. The humidity prevents the surface from drying.

5. A Lot of Steam in the Oven

Heavy steam during the first 7-8 minutes of baking is another critical point. The steam delays the crust formation, allowing the dough to continue expanding before the exterior sets. And thanks to that, you end up with that signature “eggshell” crust!

Result: Steam ➜ delays crust formation ➜ larger loaves ➜ thin crust

📘 What is Bánh Mì

Bánh Mì is a Vietnamese wheat bread that originated during the French colonization, around 1880. The term “bánh mì” refers to both the bread and the filled sandwich made with it.

Unlike a traditional French baguette, bánh mì is lighter, with a thinner crust and a more airy interior. French baguettes have a much thicker crust and a chewier/tougher crumb, so the weight-to-volume ratio is also much higher. The lightness of bánh mì makes it perfect for stuffing with pâté, pickles, herbs, and proteins without making it feel heavy.

🌾 Ingredient Notes

Here are the ingredients you will need to make Vietnamese baguettes at home. If you want the best results, do not omit or substitute any ingredient.

High-protein flour

Aim for wheat flour with 11-12% protein to develop enough gluten strength. You can find high-protein flour here.

Flour with around 8% protein (standard all-purpose) produces a denser crumb. Do not use it here, as you will be disappointed by the results.

Important: Modern bánh mì dough does not contain rice flour. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation about that (Wikipedia included). IT IS NOT the secret to its light texture, nor is it the shaping/rolling of the dough.

Instant yeast

To help the baguettes rise. I use instant yeast, which can be mixed directly with the other ingredients.

If using active dry yeast: Allow it to rehydrate in the water before mixing it with the flour.

If using fresh yeast: Use 3g and dissolve it in 3 tablespoons of lukewarm water. Remember to subtract that amount of water from the recipe to get the correct flour-to-water ratio.

Bread improver

An essential ingredient! The addition of bread improver improves air retention and dough stability during rising, allowing the loaves to proof longer, and therefore increasing their final volume.

Where to buy bread improver: I either buy it online or simply bring a bag from Vietnam. You may also try asking a bakery if they can sell you some (they usually have it).

Vitamin C

Also known as ascorbic acid, vitamin C supports yeast activity.

Note: Use approximately 150mg per batch (from powder or a crushed tablet). This brand of vitamin C, for example, contains 500mg per tablet. Break a tablet into four pieces and use only one piece for each batch.

Salt and sugar

Salt is there for flavor, while sugar gives the yeast a little boost. Regarding the type of sugar to use, I recommend sticking to regular granulated sugar.

🥣 How to Make Bánh Mì

1. Prepare the dough

1. Combine all of the ingredients. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the water, bread flour, sugar, bread improver, vitamin C, and instant dry yeast.
2. Knead. Then, knead on speed 2 for about one minute, or until everything is combined. Add the salt and increase the speed to 8. Knead for another 7-8 minutes. The dough should be silky smooth and slightly sticky.

3. Grease your pans. Lightly grease two baguette pans with either butter or oil.
4. Divide into balls. Then, divide the dough into six pieces of about 100g.

2. Shape it

It’s now time to shape the baguettes!

For the shaping, I recommend checking our video to get an idea of how to do it. Before shaping your baguettes, ensure that your working surface is lightly oiled. This will prevent the dough from sticking to it. There are different ways to shape your baguettes:

• Slap the dough: You can slap the dough into a long trapezoid, flatten it, and then roll it into a log.
• Flatten with your hands: Or, you can simply flatten the dough into a rectangle using your hands and then roll it into a log.

Note: Don’t be too hard on yourself. The shaping will not have a huge impact on the overall texture of your bread. Try to do your best, though. But don’t worry – it’s pretty forgiving once it rises, as you can see below.

1. Flatten the ball. Place one ball of dough on your greased working surface and flatten it using the palm of your hand.

2. Shape it. Use your hands to flatten the dough into a long, thin trapezoid of about 4 inches (10 cm) wide and 6 inches (15 cm) tall.

3. Roll it into a log. Next, starting from the top of the trapezoid, roll into a log. Transfer to the greased baguette pan and repeat with the remaining balls of dough.

3. Proof

1. Proof. To proof the baguettes, place the baguette pans in an oven set at approximately 86°F (30°C) or simply turn on the oven light. Fill a baking dish with about 3 cups of boiling water and place it at the bottom of your oven. This will create moisture, helping the dough rise properly and preventing the loaves from drying out.

Note: The proofing time will depend a lot on the temperature and will take between 1 h 30 and 2 hours. The baguettes are ready to be baked once they have almost quadrupled in size. The dough should bounce back slightly when you press it. If it bounces back quickly, it’s underproofed.

4. Bake

Once the loaves have quadrupled in size, it’s time to bake them! Here is how to bake the baguettes:

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) with either an iron skillet or a pan filled with lava rocks placed at the bottom. You will use it later to create steam. On top of that, the skillet will retain a lot of heat, so when you open the oven to bake your baguettes, it will come back to a high temperature more quickly. Allow the oven to preheat for at least 30 minutes.
2. Score at a 45-degree angle. Using a razor blade, score each baguette with either one cut vertically or 2-3 cuts diagonally. Ensure you are holding your blade at a 45-degree angle when scoring.

Scoring Guide

If you are unsure of how to score your baguettes, I have got you covered! You can refer to the image below, where I show you the angle and pattern you should use to score your bánh mì.

Scoring Tips

Through testing, I realized that there are a few tips to follow when scoring the dough, if you don’t want it to stick to your blade. Here is what I learned:

• Be non-hesitant: You must be fast and non-hesitant when scoring the dough. This is key. If you score the dough slowly, you are guaranteed to drag it using your blade. Be decisive!
• Score with one vertical cut: While you can score with two to three diagonal cuts, I find it much easier to score with one long vertical cut, especially if you are a beginner.
• Wet your blade: One more tip is to dip your blade in either water or oil before scoring. It helps the blade slide on the dough.

3. Spray. Once your oven is at the right temperature, spray the baguettes with water. This will help them develop cracks.
4. Create steam. Pour about 3 cups of boiling water into the iron skillet or pan filled with lava rocks to create a lot of steam.

5. Bake. Right after pouring the hot water into the skillet or over the lava rocks, add your baguette pans to the oven and turn off the oven fan. By baking without the fan, you will keep a ton of moisture inside the oven.

Be careful! DO NOT open the oven door during the first 7-8 minutes – otherwise, your baguettes will slightly collapse. The high heat and steam inside the oven make the bread rise, but if you open the door before the crust has set, it will simply collapse, and you will lose that super airy crumb.

6. Remove the skillet/lava rocks. After 7-8 minutes, remove the iron skillet or pan filled with lava rocks. Bake the baguettes without steam for another 4-5 minutes or until evenly golden brown.
7. Remove from the oven. Finally, remove your golden brown bánh mì from the oven and let them cool. Within 5 minutes, you should hear the sound of a crackling fire and see cracks appear on the crust! Magical!

I’m so happy with how these turned out! The crust is so thin and crispy, and the crumb is incredibly light! These little bánh mì look and taste just like the authentic ones! I had my share of bánh mì in Vietnam for years, so you can trust me on that!

For information: I used to recommend placing a wet cheesecloth on top of the baguettes during the rising process to prevent them from drying. The problem with this technique is that you must spray water on top in order to be able to peel the cheesecloth from the baguettes. This makes the dough more humid and very difficult to score later (the blade sticks to the dough).

After further testing, I realized this was not the best way. Now, I am simply placing the baguette pan in the oven with the light on and a baking dish filled with hot water at the bottom. This creates enough humidity to prevent the baguettes from drying. The dough is then much easier to score since it is not as wet. This also results in a better appearance and a more hollow inside as the dough can expand better when the scoring is done properly.

You can see above on the left photo, a bánh mì that was sprayed with water BEFORE scoring. Hence, it was very difficult to score it. During baking, the dough didn’t rise well. However, on the right, the dough was proofed without a cheesecloth, scored, and then sprayed with water. The shape is much nicer, and the bánh mì itself is lighter and more airy.

💬 FAQ

I have extensively tested this recipe to make sure it is exactly like the bánh mì you can find in Vietnam, from the crust to the crumb and the saltiness. Hope you will love these little baguettes! SO light and crispy!

🇻🇳 More Vietnamese-Inspired Recipes

Vietnamese Braised Tofu & Mushrooms

Easy Vegan Egg Rolls

Vegan Bánh Xèo

Homemade Egg Roll Wrappers

⭐️ Did you like this recipe? Let us know in the comments below, and tag us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Note: This recipe was first released in February 2021 and updated with new process shots and detailed instructions in March 2026. You can find the original photos below.