Pan De Mie
1 Cup Plain Soymilk
3 Tablespoons Agave Nectar
2 Teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
3 – 4 Cups Bread Flour (Or White Whole Wheat, if you just can’t stand white flour)
3/4 Teaspoon Salt
3 Tablespoons Margarine, Melted
In a small saucepan, combine the soymilk and agave, and heat gently over medium. Easy does it here, because you don’t want the temperature to be any hotter than 110; exceed that, and you poor little yeast beasts will be dead instantly. Once the agave is dissolved into the mixture and it’s around 100 degrees, turn off the heat and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let it sit and become frothy, about 5 minutes.
Pour the liquids into your stand mixer with the dough hook installed, and add in 3 cups of the flour, plus all the salt and melted margarine. Start it off slow just to combine, and let it work for a good couple of minutes to come together. If the dough seems excessively wet, go ahead and add more flour in, 1/3 cup at a time, until it mostly pulls off the sides of the bowl and feels tacky but not sticky. Let the dough hook knead it for about 10 minutes before scraping it out, kneading it briefly by hand, and shaping it into a smooth, elastic ball. Drop the ball of dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for about two hours in a warm place.
The dough should more than double in volume, at which point you’re ready to punch it down and shape it. Lightly flour a clean surface and pour the dough out onto it. Either use your hands or a rolling pin to press it out into a square of about 8 – 8 1/2 inches on all sides. Roll it up as if you were making cinnamon buns and pinch the finishing edge closed. Lightly grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pan, and drop the rolled dough into it, seam side down. Cover and let rise again, for about an hour, or until the loaf is almost peeking out above the rim of the pan.
In the mean time, preheat your oven to 375 degrees, and grab two bricks. Wash them off thoroughly if they have been outside, and then wrap them in aluminum foil. When the dough is ready, take one sheet pan, grease it thoroughly, and place it on top of the loaf. Scoot a second sheet pan underneath the loaf pan so that it’s easier to maneuver. Now, take your wrapped bricks and situate them on the top sheet pan so that they’re solidly balanced and the sheet is completely sealing the top of the loaf pan beneath. Warning: This will be heavy! You might want someone to help if you have miserable upper body strength like me. Carefully scoop up this whole assembly and move it into the oven. Let it bake for approximately 45 minutes. When you remove your bread, be even more cautious because those bricks are burning hot, and they stay hot for hours. Uncover the loaf, and if it seems a bit pale for you, return it to the oven for just 5 or 10 minutes longer. Let it cool on a wire rack completely before you even think about slicing it, no matter how incredible it smells. Trust me, your patience will be rewarded!