Crispy & Soft Banh Mi Baguette (Vietnamese Baguette)

A banh mi baguette is a core part of Vietnamese food. It is an ingredient that is used in a variety of dishes from banh mi sandwiches to Vietnamese soups. In this blog post, learn how to make these crispy, pilowy-soft baguettes at home and how to get the most consistent results every single time.

Baguettes, specifically a banh mi baguette, are a huge part of Vietnamese cuisine. The most famous use of baguettes is of course for banh mi or Vietnamese sandwiches. But you also have dishes like bo kho, bo ne, and Vietnamese chicken curry that also utilize baguettes. It’s such a versatile key ingredient that I had to develop my own recipe for it.

What is a banh mi baguette?

A banh mi baguette is actually different from a traditional French baguette. Yes the French introduced this ingredient to Vietnam, but the Vietnamese made it their own. Vietnamese baguettes have a smooth, crispy, pliable skin with a super fluffy interior. French baguettes have a harder skin and the inside isn’t quite as fluffy. I think part of the reason the baguettes are so different is the environment they’re made in. Vietnam is hot and humid most of the year, and bread ingredients just behave differently in different environments. Additionally, Vietnamese people also tend to love a crispy outside with a soft, fluffy inside for many of their desserts. I mean just look at my pandan waffles for the perfect example.

How I developed my banh mi baguette recipe

This was one challenging recipe to test. In total, I made 5 batches of bread and tried different variations of ingredients, temperature, and proofing methods. My goal for this banh mi baguette recipe was a crispy skin with a fluffy, soft inside. I learned that there are a couple key parts of this recipe.

1. Enough sugar is needed to improve the rise and texture of the dough because sugar feeds the yeast. I upped the sugar in my last few tests and that really helped the dough rise better.
2. Dough improver is a life changer because it helps you get more consistent results for each batch of dough. I added this to test #4 and the color and texture really improved. It was also easier to work with the dough.
3. This dough needs a humid environment to bake in to get that crispy skin, but not too much that it doesn’t brown. This was by far the most infuriating part of the tests. In tests 1-4, I added too much water to my steam bath, so the bread was never crispy or brown enough.
4. The dough also needs a humid environment for its second rise, so the skin doesn’t dry out. This helps give the outside its smooth, crispy exterior. I did this in test #5, and it drastically improved how the dough looks pre-bake.

Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments

There are not really substitutes for this recipe because making bread requires you to be very precise. I also list my ingredients in mostly weights for the same reason.

• Water – You will need warm water (100-110 degrees F) to activate the yeast. Don’t go over 110 degrees because that will kill the yeast.
• Active dry yeast – I used active dry yeast for my recipe. Active dry yeast needs sugar and warm water to activate. You can also use instant yeast for this recipe too.
• Granulated sugar – Sugar feeds the yeast and helps it rise, resulting in a lighter texture.
• Bread flour – Bread flour is a high protein flour that is specifically made for making bread (well duh right?). Protein gives bread its chewy texture. I recommend using a bread flour that is at least 12% protein.
• Dough improver – Dough improver helps create a better environment for your yeast to thrive. This is such a life changer, and I highly recommend it. It not only improves the texture, flavor, and color of dough, but it also improves the shelf life of the bread.
• Salt – Enhances the flavor of the other ingredients.
• Egg – Eggs are a natural leavening agent and helps improves texture.
• Unsalted butter – Butter adds flavor and makes it more moist. I did do 1 test with vegetable oil, but found I didn’t like the flavor.

Tools you will need

• Baguette bread pan – You will need a baguette bread pan for this recipe because it helps the dough keep its shape while it’s baking. I used a 3 loaf bread pan.
• Bread lame – This is used to score the bread. You don’t actually need to have this. A sharp knife works too.
• Kitchen scale – This is absolutely essential for this recipe because precise measurements produce the best results.
• KitchenAid stand mixer – I found a stand mixer the easiest way to knead bread. You just throw it all in there and let the mixer do the work for you. You don’t absolutely need a stand mixer to make this recipe however. If you don’t have one, just bring all the ingredients together into a shaggy ball then knead with your hands for 10 minutes.
• Spray bottle – You will need to spray the baguettes with water before they go in the oven. This helps it get that smooth, crispy skin.
• Rolling Pin – This helps you roll out and flatten the dough. Many people just use their hands, so this is not an essential tool. You can also use a wine bottle if you don’t have a rolling pin.

How to make banh mi baguettes

Make the dough

1. Add 248 ml of water to a liquid measuring cup. Microwave for 35-40 seconds until the water is 100 degrees F to 110 degrees F.
2. Add 8 g of granulated sugar and 7 g of active dry yeast to the measuring cup. Mix and set aside for 5 minutes.
3. While the yeast is dissolving, add 495 g of bread flour, 5 g of dough improver, 8 g of salt, 1 egg, and 30 grams of melted unsalted butter into a stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook.
4. Pour the yeast into the stand mixer bowl. The yeast will look bubbly at this point.
5. Turn the stand mixer on low to mix the ingredients together. Once mixed together, increase the speed to 4 and let the dough knead for 7-10 minutes. If you don’t have a stand mixer, mix all the ingredients together until it forms a shaggy ball. Empty the dough onto a flour-dusted surface and knead with your hands for 10 minutes.
6. After 7 minutes, test the dough to make sure it has been kneaded enough (windowpane test). Pinch off some of your dough. Flatten it out into a thin rectangle shape and hold it up to the light. If you stretch the dough so it’s thin enough for light to pass through and it doesn’t break, your dough has been kneaded enough. If it does not pass the windowpane test, continue to knead until it does.
7. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size (~1 hour).

Shape the dough

1. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. I like to weigh the dough and then divide that by 6 to get the exact weight of each dough piece. I then measure out each piece of dough.
2. Flatten each piece until it is very thin oval (approximately 5 x 10 inches) and then roll tightly into a long oval, pinching the sides in the process. See this video for the perfect demonstration.
3. Place the dough onto the baguette pan.
4. Move the oven racks so one is at the bottom of the oven and another one is right above it.
5. Cover and let them rise until they are at least double in size (1-2 hours). The dough needs a humid place to rise. I would recommend placing a pan on the bottom rack of the oven with 2-3 cups of hot water and then placing the dough onto the oven rack above the rack with hot water (steam bath). The oven should be closed, but it should not be on.
6. Once done proofing, take the dough out and empty the water from the pan on the bottom rack. Put the pan back in the oven on the bottom rack.

Bake the baguettes

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (246 degrees C).
2. Boil 1/2 cup of water.
3. Using a sharp knife or a bread lame, make a slash along the length of the dough. Alternatively, you can make 45 degree slashes down the baguette. Using a clean spray bottle, spray the tops of the baguettes with water.
4. Pour the boiling water into the pan at the bottom of the oven. Place the baguettes onto the rack above it and bake for 17-20 minutes until the baguettes are golden brown.
5. Cool the baguettes completely on a cooling rack before slicing.

Tips on how to make the perfect banh mi baguette

Use weighted measurements instead of volume

This is by far the best piece of advice I can offer for consistent results. Bread requires you to be very precise. It’s also a lot easier to use a scale because when you need to measure out a new ingredient, you just tare the scale and measure the next thing. You don’t have to struggle with different measuring spoons.

What to do if I don’t have a warm place for my dough to rise.

Heat oven onto its lowest setting (~170 degrees F) and then turn it off. Let out some of the heat. The internal temperature should be 70-80 degrees F. Place the dough in the oven to let it rise.

How do I know I’ve kneaded my dough enough?

I learned this trick from the great Claire Saffitz. She calls it the windowpane test. Pinch off some of your dough and flatten it out into a thin rectangle shape and hold it up to the light. If you stretch the dough so it’s thin enough for light to pass through and it doesn’t break, your dough has been kneaded enough.

How do I know the dough has proofed enough?

The dough will have doubled in size, and when you press into it, it will bounce back but leaving a small dent.

How do you store banh mi baguettes?

Baguettes are best eaten the day they are made. Over time, the entire loaf gets harder. You can store bread at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. My mom likes to freeze bread and then toast it when she needs it.

How does the Vietnamese traditionally eat banh mi baguettes?

Vietnamese baguettes are used in a lot of Vietnamese dishes as either a main component of the dish or a side that is served with the main dish. As mentioned, the most popular way to eat banh mi baguettes is in banh mi sandwiches. This is a dish where the bread is used as a main component of the dish. The most traditional way to make banh mi is filled with some type of protein like lemongrass pork, cold cuts, or just cha lua, fresh herbs, do chua, and smears of pate and mayo.

Another way the Vietnamese enjoy baguettes is with Vietnamese soups! In this case, baguettes are more of a side dish. The two soups that are most associated with baguettes are bo kho and ca ri ga (chicken curry). I have eaten baguettes so many times with both dishes. In addition, it is also served with a ton of other dishes like bo ne, xiu mai, and even thit kho. It provides the perfect neutral base that makes eating the main dish much more satisfying.

Did you make this dish?

If you made this dish, I would love to see!

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