The only 6 simple steps to make your own Panera Bread Style Homemade Panini Bread. This soft and chewy bread is the best bread to make panini, sandwiches; when filled with olive oil tomato mozzarella red peppers and grilled to perfection makes an ideal lunch or dinner.
Start by making the biga or starter culture. Mix everything mentioned under the Biga Ingredients and combine to form a dough. No need to knead the dough here. Just mix to form a dough. Cling wrap and let it ferment overnight or a minimum of 8 hours.
Next day to make the dough, take the flour, salt, olive oil, honey and the biga in the stand mixer. Dissolve the yeast in the water and add to the stand mixer. Knead the dough for 8 mins.
After 8 mins add the sun-dried tomato and mix for another 30 sec.
Lightly oil the bowl and transfer the dough into it and allow it to proof for 40 mins. Alternatively you can proof in the instant pot for 20 mins.
After 40 mins, scale and round the dough to 100 gms each and allow an intermediate proofing of 10 mins.
Then take a roundel, flatten it and give it a torpedo shape. (Refer the above paragraph for a pictorial representation or check out the video) Using a rolling pin just flatten them to give an oval shape the size of your palm.
Line it on a baking tray that has been pre-lined with parchment paper. Allow it to proof for 10 mins and then bake in a preheated oven of 160°C for 14-18 mins.
Allow it to cool completely before slicing, filling and grilling your favourite sandwich
Video
Notes
Since I am using the Instant variety of yeast there is no need to activate it. Please keep in mind that if you use any other variety make sure to activate it before use.
Please refer the video tutorial for a clear understanding of shaping your bread dough.
The panini bread once baked is pale in colour as compared to other bread. Do not panic that is how it is supposed to be.
These are a really soft bread however once grilled it becomes so crispy and so tasty with the filling inside enhancing the flavour quotient of the bread.
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