Okay, so I tried my hand at making Vietnamese sweet bread, or “banh mi ngot” as they call it. I’ve always loved those Vietnamese baguettes, “banh mi”, you know? The ones with the super thin, crispy crust and soft, airy inside. This time I wanted to go for the sweet version.
I found some stuff online about Vietnamese desserts and how they use a lot of bananas, coconut, and sticky rice. And then I stumbled upon this recipe for a basic sweet bread that only needed like, eight things. So, I thought, why not? Let’s give this a shot.
Gathering My Stuff
First, I gathered all the ingredients listed in the recipe. It was pretty basic stuff: flour, sugar, yeast, milk, butter, eggs, salt, and some vanilla extract. I made sure I had everything measured out and ready to go because I didn’t want to be running around looking for stuff mid-recipe.
Mixing the Dough
Next, I mixed the dry ingredients together in a big bowl – the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. In a separate bowl, I whisked together the wet ingredients – warmed milk, melted butter, eggs, and a splash of vanilla. I was careful not to make the milk too hot, ’cause I didn’t want to kill the yeast. Then, I slowly poured the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing it all with a wooden spoon until it formed a shaggy dough. I kept mixing it until I got a soft, sticky ball of dough. This part was a bit of a workout, I had to knead it for a good 10 minutes or so on a floured surface, added some elbow grease to it.
First Rise
Once the dough was all smooth and elastic, I placed it in a greased bowl, covered it with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour. It was kind of cool watching it double in size. This is where the yeast does its magic, making the bread all fluffy and airy.
Shaping and Second Rise
After the first rise, I punched down the dough to release the air, it felt kinda satisfying, to be honest. Then, I divided the dough into smaller pieces and shaped each piece into a round, smooth ball and some little loaves. It was then that I placed them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I covered them again with plastic wrap and let them rise for another 30 minutes or so until they puffed up nicely.
Baking Time
While the dough was doing its second rise, I preheated my oven to 350°F. Once the oven was ready, I brushed the tops of the rolls with some egg wash to give them a nice golden-brown color. Then, I carefully popped them in the oven and baked for about 20-25 minutes, until they were golden brown and smelled amazing.
Cooling and Enjoying
Finally, I took the bread out of the oven and let them cool on a wire rack. This was the hardest part – waiting for them to cool down enough to eat! Once they were cool enough to handle, I tore into one. It was soft, sweet, and had a really nice texture. They were warm, and the sweet taste was not over the top and just right.
So that’s my little adventure making Vietnamese sweet bread. It was a fun experience, and the bread turned out pretty darn good, if I do say so myself! I am thinking of adding some coconut the next time I try this, could be a game changer. Definitely worth trying if you’re into baking.
