Learn how to make the VERY BEST Vietnamese baguette! These bánh mì have the perfect light and cottony crumb with a super crispy crust! This recipe is the result of a ton of trials and help from Vietnamese friends to reach the perfect texture and flavor. Look no further for an authentic recipe!
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My quest to make authentic Bánh Mì is finally over! After so many trials I lost count, I'm super excited to finally share the recipe to make these super light Vietnamese baguettes! Let's bake!
📘 What is Bánh Mì
Bánh Mì is a Vietnamese bread that appeared during the French colonization, around 1880. French colonists brought bread as well as paté, coffee, crème caramel, yogurt, and more, influencing Vietnamese cuisine. Vietnamese tweaked the bread by filling it with paté, carrot and radish pickles, fresh herbs, and all sorts of meat. It is now considered one of the best sandwiches in the world.
Bánh Mì, which translates to "wheat cake", is the name of the bread itself, but also the filled sandwich.
So, what's so special about bánh mì? The uniqueness of this bread is that it is extremely light. The inside is so airy it almost looks like candy floss, and the crust is super thin and crispy with visible cracks on it. Another difference is that, as opposed to other bread, this one tends to become soft and chewy the next day, it doesn't really dry out.
To me, preparing a Bánh Mì sandwich starts with the perfect bread, French baguette just doesn't compare. Traditional French baguettes have a much thicker crust and more crumb, so the weight-to-volume ratio is much higher. Bánh Mì is lighter (less crumb), making it easier to digest, and perfect to add a ton of fillings!
🥣 How to Make Bánh Mì
I tried many recipes and I could not find a single one that gave a real bánh mì texture. Most so-called Vietnamese baguette recipes yield nice results but are far from the ones I tried and loved in Việt Nam. After a lot of research, an insane amount of trials, and invaluable help from Vietnamese friends, I finally nailed it! If you are looking for an authentic bánh mì that is as light as a feather, this recipe surely won't disappoint.
What is the secret to getting this extremely light texture and thin crust? Well, there is not a single answer to that, it’s the combination of multiple things:
- A high hydratation dough. This dough contains more moisture than most bread dough. In fact, it's so sticky you will need to work with oiled hands when handling the dough.
- A high protein flour: Aim for a wheat flour with about 12% protein. If you only have all-purpose flour (8% protein) on hand, don’t try this recipe as you will be disappointed by the results. The high amount of gluten allows the dough to get a light and elastic consistency, as well as a better rise. You can find high-protein flour here.
- Bread improver: An essential ingredient, the addition of bread improver allows the dough to rise for a longer period, giving it a fluffier texture. I found mine online, but you may try asking a bakery if they can sell you some (they usually have it).
- The addition of vitamin C: It acts as a boost for the yeast. I used vitamin C powder, but you can use crushed vitamin c tablets.
- A high-speed kneading: For this recipe, you will need a stand mixer. We will run it at full speed to develop the gluten.
- A long rising time: You want to let your baguettes rise for at least two hours in a warm and humid environment. The baguettes will keep rising for the whole two hours thanks to the addition of the bread improver and the vitamin C.
- A lot of steam in the oven: This will allow the crust to develop cracks and stay thin and super crispy.
Do not omit or substitute any ingredient if you want the best results. And no, this recipe cannot be made gluten-free, sorry.
Quick note: Bánh mì dough doesn't contain any rice flour nowadays, unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation about that (Wikipedia included). IT IS NOT the secret to its light texture, neither is the shaping/rolling of the dough. It's all about what is listed above.
Equipment Needed
Before starting, you will need a few essential tools:
- A high-speed stand mixer: This one is a must, I would not recommend kneading by hand for this recipe.
- A perforated baguette pan: If you want round and good-looking baguettes, a baguette pan will definitely help. It also helps the heat distribute better, giving the baguettes a more uniform, golden brown color.
- A bread lame: For scoring the loaves before baking. You actually don't need the handle, just a standard razor blade works well.
- A spray bottle: To spray the baguettes before baking.
- And a good oven!
Preparing the dough
Alright, let's start! First, add all the ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer: bread flour, salt, sugar, bread improver, vitamin C, dry yeast, and water. Then, knead at the highest speed for 7-8 minutes.
Once the dough is silky smooth and sticky, transfer it to a greased surface and let it rest covered for about 20 minutes. Then, divide it into either six pieces of about 70g each or five pieces of 84g. I went with 70g as this seems to be the norm for most bánh mì in Việt Nam.
Shaping
It's now time to shape the baguettes!
For the shaping, I would recommend checking some videos like this one to get an idea of how to do it. There are different ways to shape your baguettes, you can slap the dough into a long trapeze, then fold it in half, flatten it, and then roll. Or, flatten the dough into a rectangle and then simply roll it. 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 they rise as you can see below.
Next, place your little loaves of dough on a greased baguette pan. To proof, I recommend placing your pans in an oven at about 86°F (30°C) with a baking sheet or bowl filled with warm water to keep enough humidity. I had a lot of trouble at first with the baguettes developing a crust and drying out during proofing (a dry crust stops the dough from rising more). To prevent that, you want to cover your baguettes with a wet cheese cloth. Don't use a kitchen towel as it's too heavy and could prevent the baguettes from rising well.
After 2 hours, your baguettes should have almost quadrupled in size! Time to bake!
Baking
A lot of moisture in the oven is the secret to that thin crust. Preheat your oven to 475°F (250°C) with an iron skillet placed at the bottom. The skillet will retain a lot of heat, so when you will open the oven to bake your baguettes, it will come back to a high temperature more quickly.
Once your oven is at the right temperature, spray the baguettes with water and score at a 45 degrees angle using an oiled razor blade. Pour boiling water into the iron skillet to create a lot of steam, add your pans to the oven, and turn off the oven fan. By baking with no fan, we keep a ton of moisture inside the oven.
Be careful, DO NOT open the door of the oven during the first 15 minutes otherwise your baguettes will slightly collapse. See, the high heat and steam inside the oven makes the bread rise, but if you open the door before the crust has set, it will simply collapse and you will loose that super airy crumb. We won't spray the baguettes with water during baking as there is already enough humidity.
After 16-18 minutes, remove your golden brown bánh mì from the oven, and let it cool. You should hear the sound of a crackling fire and see cracks appear on the crust within 5 minutes! Magical!
I'm so happy with how these turned out! The crust is so thin and crispy, and the crumb is incredibly light!
I would say the only thing I could not get perfectly right are the ears, I still need to work on my scoring skills. Other than that, these little bánh mì are so close to the real ones! I had my share of bánh mì in Viet Nam for almost a year, so you can trust me on that!
🥖 Where to Use Bánh Mì
Bánh Mì, while served as a sandwich, is usually eaten for breakfast in Việt Nam, although you can have it any time of the day. The vegan versions usually include vegan paté, mayo, pickles, some sort of vegan "meat", Maggi seasoning, fresh cilantro, Thai basil, and many other add-ins like peanuts, crispy shallots, etc. Here are a few recipes and ideas on where to use Bánh Mì:
- Pulled Mushrooms Bánh Mì: If you want a super meaty and juicy sandwich, this recipe won't disappoint!
- With Vegan Beef Stew or Vietnamese Curry: Dip a piece of bánh mì to soak up the sauce, yum!
- Grilled and drizzled with chili sauce, mayo, and green onions like in this Spicy Grilled Bread. This works best with 1-2 days old bánh mì.
- Anywhere else you would use bread!
💬 FAQ
- Which type of bread improver should I use? Most bread improvers will work here, however each brand will yield slightly different results. Just for information, the bread improver that is used by bakers in Vietnam is called S500 Bánh Mì Plus, by the brand Puratos. It contains: Starch (75%), dextrose, emulsifier (E472e), anti-oxidants (E300), enzymes: amylases: E1100.
- How long does bánh mì bread keeps? I recommend enjoying bánh mì the same day for the best texture. After a day, it tends to lose its crispiness.
I hope you will love these little baguettes! SO light and crispy!
🇻🇳 More Vietnamese-Inspired Recipes
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe, and tag @fullofplants on Instagram if you make it!
📖 Recipe
How To Make Bánh Mì (Vietnamese Baguette)
Ingredients
- 170 ml water at room temperature
- 250 g bread flour (at least 12% protein)
- 1 teaspoon bread improver
- ¾ teaspoon dry yeast
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ + ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon vitamin C from powder or a crushed tablet
- 2 tablespoon vegan butter for brushing
Instructions
- Add the water, bread flour, bread improver, dry yeast, sugar, salt, and vitamin C to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
- Mix on speed 2 for about one minute, or until everything is combined. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides if needed. Now, increase the speed to the maximum (10 on a Kitchenaid), and let the stand mixer knead at full speed for about 8 minutes. Keep an eye on it as it will move because of the speed.
- Using slightly oiled hands, transfer the dough to a greased countertop or smooth surface. The dough should be elastic and very sticky, that's normal. Cover the dough with a bowl upside down and let it rest for about 20 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to its lowest temperature (about 86°F/30°C). If it cannot go that low, just turn the oven light on. Place a baking sheet filled with warm water in the bottom of the oven. Grease two baguette pans with an oiled kitchen paper towel and set aside.
- After 20 minutes, divide the dough into 6 balls of about 70g each. This is the regular size of banh mi, however if you want bigger baguettes, divide the dough into 5 pieces of 84g.
- To shape: slap a ball of dough on your greased working surface, then use your hands to flatten it into a thin rectangle. Next, roll it out into a roll of about 5-inch long (see photos and this video to get an idea of how to shape the baguettes). Transfer to the prepared baguette pan and repeat with the remaining balls of dough.
- Wet two lightweight cheesecloth and place them on the baguette pans, this will prevent the baguettes from drying and forming a crust. Place the baguette pans in the preheated oven and let the dough rise for about 2 and a half hours. Check after 1 hour and re-arrange the cheesecloth if needed (since the dough will rise, you might have to carefully remove the cheesecloth and replace it on top so it doesn't stop the dough from rising well).
- Once your dough has quadrupled in size, remove the pans from the oven but keep the cheesecloth on top. Preheat the oven to 475°F (247°C) and place an iron skillet in the bottom of the oven. This will help retain heat better. Let the oven preheat for at least 25 minutes.
- Boil about 3 cups of water. In the meantime, remove the cheesecloth and spray the dough with water. Using an oiled razor blade (or very sharp knife), score each loaf with 2-3 cuts. Tip: Hold the blade at a 45° angle (not perpendicular) and make cuts of about ½ cm deep.
- Spray with water once more. Now, place your baguette pans into the oven and pour the boiling water into the iron skillet. Immediately close the oven door and turn off the oven fan.
- Bake for about 17 minutes, or until the banh mi are golden brown. Do not open the door during baking. Once your banh mi have a nice color, carefully flip them upside down and bake for another 4 minutes, or until the bottom is golden brown as well.
- Remove from the oven and hear them crack! Some cracks should appear very quickly, that's one of the characteristics of a good banh mi. If you want them to have a nice shine, lightly brush them with melted vegan butter and let them cool a bit before eating.
- Banh mi are best eaten the same day, the crust is super crispy and the crumb so fluffy! You can keep them for up to 3 days at room temperature in a bread bag. They will become softer the next day, but you can reheat in a preheated oven to make them crispy again.
Does anyone have a source for the Puratos S500 bread improver in the US online? Unable to locate locally and striking out online
Hi there
I came across this recipe today and I wanted to add a warning to anyone using a Kitchenaid stand mixer.
This recipe says to turn your stand mixer to the maximum setting however if you read your Kitchenaid manual, it says NOT TO EXCEED SETTING 4 FOR DOUGH MAKING.
Apparently using the maximum setting may damage the motor and void the warranty.
I am just mentioning this so folks can make up their own minds on what they do.
Cheers
Donna
Hi Donna,
Thanks for the tip Donna! I have made this recipe multiple times and never had any issue with my Kitchenaid 🙂
Great recipe and your technical instruction for best results are very well articulated. Thanks!!
Thanks Matthew! 🙂
Thanks Thomas , Your informations was helpfull for somone love to make and enjoy banh mi.
I cook for one, can these be frozen? I realize the texture would not be the same. I’d had to read the measurements to see if I could half it.
I can’t rate it because I haven’t tried it yet.
Yes, they can be frozen, but the crust will be quite crumbly after reheating them.
Hi Thomas:
I am currently visiting family in Nha Trang and have been eating spam and egg banh mi for breakfasts. I have never eaten crispy clouds like these in the US and was wondering whether there was some dough conditioner. I make quite a few French baguette traditión at home, but I much prefer these.
Thanks for this recipe. I found it because I was reading a commercial Vietnamese recipe and it called for “phụ gia”, which just means “additives”, and Ông Google led me here. I’m looking forward to trying to make these when I get home.
Re: scoring, you may get the ear you seek by trying the following steps.
1. I’m right handed, so when I’m scoring loaves, so that when I am looking down at them on the counter, they are pointing up to the left.
2. Hold the lame like you’re inserting a key into a keyhole, then turn your wrist like you’re unlocking a door. The blade will be not quite parallel with the counter.
3. Make a single quick, shallow score barely to the right of the center of the top of the loaf. It’s very important not to score straight down into the loaf because the cut will open laterally rather than like a book (which messes up the loaf shape and ear) and the heat of the oven will bake the exposed cut too quickly. Also typically, professional bakers typically do not make multiple cuts at a 45 degree angle across the face of the loaf. Rather, make multiple cut as close to parallel with the center line of the loaf as possible and overlap by a couple of centimeters. This helps maintain the classical loaf shape of banh mi, baguettes, and other cylindrical loaves.
Thanks again and excellent work. Please let me know if you try this method of scoring.
Cheers,
Tony
Hi Tony,
True, Vietnamese bread is so different! It really shines when used to make sandwiches, making it much less heavy and more focused on the filling.
Thanks for your suggestions, will definitely try scoring that way next time I make another batch of banh mi!
Hope you will have success with the recipe 😉