Strong Oven Spring❗ Savory Bacon & Cheese Pullman Loaf

This Pullman loaf has a super fine, pillowy crumb packed with savory bacon and melted cheese. If you love savory breads, this one is well worth a try.

🍞Ingredients: (For one 450g Pullman loaf pan)

🍭Sponge (Chongzhong): Bread flour 270g, water 170g, instant dry yeast 3g

🍭Main Dough: Sugar 10g, salt 3g, room-temperature softened butter 20g

🍭Fillings & Topping: Cooked bacon bits, shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese, grated Parmesan cheese (Photo 7).

🍞Instructions:

1️⃣In a mixing bowl, stir the sponge ingredients with chopsticks until shaggy flakes form, then knead by hand into a rough ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes. Knead briefly until smooth, cover again, and let ferment at room temperature for 1 hour before refrigerating overnight for 12 to 17 hours.

2️⃣The next day, take out the chilled sponge, tear it into small pieces, and mix with the sugar and salt from the main dough until evenly incorporated and reaching the thick membrane stage. Add the softened butter and mix until you reach full windowpane stage (a thin, translucent membrane).

3️⃣Divide the dough into 3 equal portions. Roll each piece out as shown in Photo 6, scatter cooked bacon bits and shredded cheese over the surface, roll up into coils, and place into the Pullman pan. (Today I held back a piece of dough to use as old dough and baked the rest in a 350g pan, which is why my photo shows 5 smaller coils instead of 3).

4️⃣Proof in a warm, humid spot until 80% to 90% full. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top and bake at 180°C for about 32 minutes, tenting with aluminum foil once the top browns.

5️⃣Remove from the oven, tap the pan firmly to release steam, unmold immediately, and cool on a wire rack.

🔅Helpful Tips:

1. The sponge dough will feel fairly firm at first. Don't rush to add extra water the night before; wait until the next day when mixing with the main dough, and trickle in a tiny bit of water only if needed.

2. Because the overnight sponge already acts as the first fermentation, do not bulk ferment after mixing the main dough on Day 2. Divide into 3 portions and shape right away.

3. Flour absorption and oven calibration vary, so adjust hydration and bake time to suit your setup.