CAMILLE’S PÃO FRANCÊS
My homeade version of brazilain pao frances! Brazilian husband approved!;)
Steps
1. 🌾 Autolyse
1
Put into your bowl:
250 g flour + 155 g of the water
Mix until there's no dry flour. It can look rough and shaggy.
Cover it.
Leave it alone for 20 minutes.
Don't knead it. Don't poke it.
After 20 minutes, pull the dough gently.
It should already feel noticeably stretchier.
250 g flour + 155 g of the water
Mix until there's no dry flour. It can look rough and shaggy.
Cover it.
Leave it alone for 20 minutes.
Don't knead it. Don't poke it.
After 20 minutes, pull the dough gently.
It should already feel noticeably stretchier.
2. 🍞 Add Everything Else
2
Mix together:
remaining 5 g water + 3 g yeast + 3 g sugar
Add that to the dough and squish/knead it in.
Then add:
5 g salt + 3 g oil
It might temporarily become slippery and weird.
KEEP GOING.
Once everything is incorporated, we're ready to knead.
remaining 5 g water + 3 g yeast + 3 g sugar
Add that to the dough and squish/knead it in.
Then add:
5 g salt + 3 g oil
It might temporarily become slippery and weird.
KEEP GOING.
Once everything is incorporated, we're ready to knead.
3. 💪 Knead
3
Knead for 8 minutes.
Use a push-fold-turn motion:
Push dough away with heel of hand → fold it back → quarter turn → repeat.
It can be slightly tacky. Do not add flour.
Then:
STOP. Cover it. Rest 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes:
Knead another 5 minutes.
Now test it.
Use a push-fold-turn motion:
Push dough away with heel of hand → fold it back → quarter turn → repeat.
It can be slightly tacky. Do not add flour.
Then:
STOP. Cover it. Rest 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes:
Knead another 5 minutes.
Now test it.
4. 🪟 Windowpane Test
4
Pinch off a walnut-sized piece.
Gently flatten it between your fingers.
Then slowly stretch it outward from several directions.
Don't just yank two sides apart.
We want:
thick dough
↓
stretch...
↓
stretch...
↓
thin translucent membrane
You should be able to make an area thin enough that light passes through it before it tears.
A little tearing around the edges = fine.
If it tears immediately:
Don't keep kneading endlessly.
Cover → rest 10 minutes → knead another 2–3 minutes → test again.
Once you've got a decent membrane:
STOP.
🎉 GLUTEN ACHIEVED.
Gently flatten it between your fingers.
Then slowly stretch it outward from several directions.
Don't just yank two sides apart.
We want:
thick dough
↓
stretch...
↓
stretch...
↓
thin translucent membrane
You should be able to make an area thin enough that light passes through it before it tears.
A little tearing around the edges = fine.
If it tears immediately:
Don't keep kneading endlessly.
Cover → rest 10 minutes → knead another 2–3 minutes → test again.
Once you've got a decent membrane:
STOP.
🎉 GLUTEN ACHIEVED.
5. ⏰ First Rise
5
Shape the dough gently into a ball.
Put it in a lightly oiled bowl and cover.
Leave somewhere comfortably warm.
Approximately:
60–90 minutes
But forget the clock if the dough disagrees with it.
This time I want approximately:
1.75–2× its starting size.
It should look visibly inflated and feel lighter.
Put it in a lightly oiled bowl and cover.
Leave somewhere comfortably warm.
Approximately:
60–90 minutes
But forget the clock if the dough disagrees with it.
This time I want approximately:
1.75–2× its starting size.
It should look visibly inflated and feel lighter.
6. ⚖️ Divide
6
Turn the dough gently onto the counter.
Don't punch the living daylights out of it. 😂
Divide into:
5 × ~80 g
Form each into a very loose ball.
We're not aggressively tightening these.
Cover them.
Rest 15 minutes.
This is important for extensibility during shaping.
Don't punch the living daylights out of it. 😂
Divide into:
5 × ~80 g
Form each into a very loose ball.
We're not aggressively tightening these.
Cover them.
Rest 15 minutes.
This is important for extensibility during shaping.
7. 🥖 Shape
7
Take one ball.
Gently press it into an oval about:
10 × 7 cm
Don't completely smash out every bubble.
Fold #1
Take the top third and fold it toward the center.
Press the seam gently with your fingertips.
Fold #2
Take that new top edge and roll/fold it toward you again.
Seal the final seam with your fingertips.
You'll have a stubby log.
Now gently roll it under your palms until it's approximately:
12–13 cm long
Slightly thicker in the middle, gently tapered ends.
Seam side DOWN on your baking paper.
🚨 If it keeps shrinking back:
STOP.
Cover it for 5 minutes, then continue.
Don't fight the gluten. Gluten always wins. 😂
Gently press it into an oval about:
10 × 7 cm
Don't completely smash out every bubble.
Fold #1
Take the top third and fold it toward the center.
Press the seam gently with your fingertips.
Fold #2
Take that new top edge and roll/fold it toward you again.
Seal the final seam with your fingertips.
You'll have a stubby log.
Now gently roll it under your palms until it's approximately:
12–13 cm long
Slightly thicker in the middle, gently tapered ends.
Seam side DOWN on your baking paper.
🚨 If it keeps shrinking back:
STOP.
Cover it for 5 minutes, then continue.
Don't fight the gluten. Gluten always wins. 😂
8. ☁️ Second Proof
8
Arrange all five on your 26 × 26 cm tray with as much room between them as possible.
Cover loosely.
Approximately:
40–60 minutes
But we're using the poke test, not blindly following the timer.
Gently poke the side of one roll about 5 mm.
Bounces back immediately: ❌ not ready.
Slowly comes back but leaves a slight dent: ✅ BAKE ME.
Doesn't come back / dough deflates: 😬 overproofed.
They should also look noticeably puffier than when you shaped them.
Cover loosely.
Approximately:
40–60 minutes
But we're using the poke test, not blindly following the timer.
Gently poke the side of one roll about 5 mm.
Bounces back immediately: ❌ not ready.
Slowly comes back but leaves a slight dent: ✅ BAKE ME.
Doesn't come back / dough deflates: 😬 overproofed.
They should also look noticeably puffier than when you shaped them.
9. 🔥 Preheat Hard
9
About 30 minutes before they're ready, preheat your oven to:
250°C
or the absolute hottest your oven allows.
Put your baking surface/tray in during preheating if your setup allows it.
Also place your little metal steam pan at the bottom.
No glass!
250°C
or the absolute hottest your oven allows.
Put your baking surface/tray in during preheating if your setup allows it.
Also place your little metal steam pan at the bottom.
No glass!
10. 🔪 Score
10
Immediately before baking, use your sharpest knife/razor.
Make ONE long cut along the top.
About:
0.5 cm deep
Hold your blade at approximately a 30–45° angle, rather than stabbing straight downward.
Quick, confident movement:
SHWIP. 🔪
Not:
saw... saw... saw... why is my bread crying 😂
Make ONE long cut along the top.
About:
0.5 cm deep
Hold your blade at approximately a 30–45° angle, rather than stabbing straight downward.
Quick, confident movement:
SHWIP. 🔪
Not:
saw... saw... saw... why is my bread crying 😂
11. 💨 Steam + Bake
11
Transfer the rolls to the hot oven.
Carefully pour roughly:
60–80 ml boiling water
into your preheated metal steam pan.
Immediately shut the door.
Bake 8 minutes at 250°C with steam.
Then carefully remove the steam pan if practical and safe. If your tiny oven makes that awkward, don't burn yourself for bread—we can simply vent the oven briefly instead.
Continue:
8–12 minutes
until beautifully deep golden brown.
If your tiny oven browns unevenly, rotate the tray once after the steaming stage, not during those crucial first 8 minutes.
Carefully pour roughly:
60–80 ml boiling water
into your preheated metal steam pan.
Immediately shut the door.
Bake 8 minutes at 250°C with steam.
Then carefully remove the steam pan if practical and safe. If your tiny oven makes that awkward, don't burn yourself for bread—we can simply vent the oven briefly instead.
Continue:
8–12 minutes
until beautifully deep golden brown.
If your tiny oven browns unevenly, rotate the tray once after the steaming stage, not during those crucial first 8 minutes.
12. 🥹 Listen To Them
12
Transfer immediately to a cooling rack.
And LISTEN.
You may hear:
tik... crack... tik... crack...
That's the crust contracting and crackling.
Wait at least 15–20 minutes before opening one.
And LISTEN.
You may hear:
tik... crack... tik... crack...
That's the crust contracting and crackling.
Wait at least 15–20 minutes before opening one.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving134 calories
Calories from
- Protein 12%
- Carbs 81%
- Fat 7%
-
Fat Low 1 g 1%
-
Saturated Fat Low 0 g 0%
-
Carbohydrates 27 g 9%
-
Fiber Low 1 g 4%
-
Sugar Low 1 g 2%
-
Protein 4 g 8%
-
Cholesterol Low 0 mg 0%
-
Sodium 171 mg 7%
% Daily Value is based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Notes
For Batch #3:
1. Preheat the oven + baking tray at 250°C for a solid 30 minutes.
2. Finish proofing the pão.
3. Do our new long, angled score—almost end-to-end.
4. Mist the surface of each roll generously with water. You want them visibly damp/glossy, not swimming.
5. Put them immediately onto the screaming-hot tray.
6. Right before closing the door, give a few quick sprays into the oven air/walls only if your oven manual permits this and you can avoid the heating elements, fan, light, and glass. Otherwise skip this part entirely.
7. Close immediately and DO NOT OPEN for ~8 minutes.
8. After 8 minutes, briefly vent the oven.
9. Continue around 230°C until nicely browned.
10. Last 2–3 minutes, vent/crack the door only if your oven safely allows operation that way to dry the crust.
1. Preheat the oven + baking tray at 250°C for a solid 30 minutes.
2. Finish proofing the pão.
3. Do our new long, angled score—almost end-to-end.
4. Mist the surface of each roll generously with water. You want them visibly damp/glossy, not swimming.
5. Put them immediately onto the screaming-hot tray.
6. Right before closing the door, give a few quick sprays into the oven air/walls only if your oven manual permits this and you can avoid the heating elements, fan, light, and glass. Otherwise skip this part entirely.
7. Close immediately and DO NOT OPEN for ~8 minutes.
8. After 8 minutes, briefly vent the oven.
9. Continue around 230°C until nicely browned.
10. Last 2–3 minutes, vent/crack the door only if your oven safely allows operation that way to dry the crust.
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