Bánh Mì: The Baguette with a Vietnamese Twist

As we move on from Iceland to Vietnam in this bread series, we're shifting gears to talk about a truly iconic bread: bánh mì. This baguette-inspired creation is a perfect blend of French influence and Vietnamese tradition, and it holds a special place in our hearts. It is my go to sandwich and my go to bread for dipping into Vietnamise Chicken Curry, Cà Ri Gà and Vietnamese Beef Bourginoun, Bò Kho.

The story of bánh mì begins with the French. When they colonized Vietnam, they brought their bread, more specifically, the baguette. The French baguette is long, thin, and crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. It was a foreign food in Vietnam, but it didn’t take long for us to put our own spin on it. Over time, the bánh mì evolved into something uniquely Vietnamese. A combination of the French baguette and our fresh, vibrant ingredients, resulting in a sandwich unlike any other.

But why is bánh mì so important to us? The bread itself, the baguette, is a reminder of our complex history. It represents the blending of two culture, the French influence with the rich flavours of Vietnam. The baguette itself, though it originated from French colonialism, has become a symbol of how we take what’s foreign and make it our own. We’ve embraced it, transformed it, and made it an essential part of our daily life. And that’s the beauty of Vietnamese culture: we take what we’re given, make it ours, and shape it into something new and meaningful.

And as I navigate my career break, I'm like a bánh mì, I'm going to shape my toxic and traumatizing experience, into something new and meaningful and move onward. It will be a process, and there will be days that I fail... A lot.

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups Bread Flour

• 1 cup + 2 tbsp Water

• 1 Whole Egg (about 1/4 cup)

• 2 1/4 tsp Instant Yeast

• 1 tsp Salt

• 1 tsp Sugar

• 1/2 Vitamin C Tablet (crushed)

• Vegetable Oil (as needed)

Instructions:

• In a mixing bowl, add the egg, water, yeast, sugar, salt, and the crushed vitamin C tablet. Stir

  to combine.

• Add in the bread flour and mix until combined.

• Using a stand mixer, mix on low speed for 6 minutes. Then increase the speed to medium for 3 minutes, and finally on high for 2 minutes (mixing times may vary depending on your mixer).

• Remove the dough from the bowl and slap and fold it, only a lightly oiled work surface, 4-6 times to strengthen the dough. Shape it into one large ball, cover, and let it rest for 20 minutes.

• After resting, divide the dough into six equal portions and roll each portion into small balls. Cover and let rest for another 20 minutes.

• Shape each ball using your preferred method. Place the shaped dough onto a lightly oiled baguette pan.

• Proof the dough in the oven with the light on and a pot of warm water for 60 minutes. Spray the dough with water every 20 minutes during the proofing process.

• Remove from the oven and let the dough proof on the countertop for an additional 30 -45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450°F.

• Once the dough has grown to about 3 times its original size and the oven is preheated, bring a pot of water to a boil.

• Score the loaves with a lame or razor blade and immediately spray with water after scoring.

• Place the baguettes with into the oven. Pour boiling water into your secondary tray to create steam, then quickly close the oven door.

• Bake for 10 minutes without opening the door.

• After 8 minutes, open the door to release any remaining steam. Continue baking for 8 minutes more minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown and reach your desired color.

• Remove the Bánh Mì from the oven and let cool.