Leftover Thanksgiving Banh Mi

The Dry Ingredients

• 250g mg vitamin C tablet (used as a bread improver)
• 450g plain flour / 400g plain flour + 50g rice four
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 ½ tsp sugar
• 2 tsp fast action dried yeast

The Liquid

• 280g very warm water
• 1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil

The filling

• ½ red onion
• 1 red chilli
• Cooked / leftover turkey
• Crispy shallots
• Brussels sprouts
• 1 ladle leftover gravy
• Thai basil leaves
• 1-2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp palm sugar

Making the Banh Mi Dough

Crush the vitamin C tablet in a pestle and mortar into a fine powder. Then mix all “the dry ingredients” together in a mixing bowl or electric dough mixer bowl. Place into the mixer and switch on at a low speed to mix the dry ingredients evenly. Gradually add the liquid into the mixer until all the flour has absorbed the water. Once the dough has formed into more of a ball, turn the mixer up to a medium speed and allow to knead for 2 minutes. After this, the dough should be smooth and tacky in texture. Switch the mixer off and remove from the bowl onto a work surface. Knead by hand with a little flour if needed for a minute or so. Then place back into the mixing bowl, rub ½ tbsp oil around the ball of dough and cover with a damp cloth or cling film. Sit in a warm place for 45 mins - 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Once doubled in size, you may either knock it back by kneading once more, and then allow to rest again, or you can shape the dough straight away and allow it to double in size again in it’s baguette shapes.

Shaping the Banh Mi

To shape the dough, divide it into 3 equal pieces and then shape each piece into a ball. The smoother each ball of dough is at this stage, the smoother and more beautiful your bread will turn out. Push into the dough and knead whilst shaping for a smoother finish. Once you have 3 balls of dough, roll each one with the palms of your hands into a thick cylinder, and then finish off rolling the edges slightly thinner to create the traditional banh mi shape. Once shaped, place onto a clean tea towel on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, with rolling pins either side of the shaped dough so as to keep their baguette shapes whilst they prove one last time. Cover with a damp cloth once more and leave in a warm place once again for up to 1 hour or until the baguettes have doubled in size.

Baking the Banh Mi

Preheat the oven to 215℃. To add moisture into the oven, place a tray of hot water in the bottom of your oven or put your oven onto a ¼ steam function.

Once the rolls have doubled in size, remove all the tea towels carefully and allow the baguettes to sit onto the greaseproof paper. Slash each baguette 2-3 times diagonally and then spray generously with clean water (use a food-safe water spray for this).

Once the oven is preheated, place the tray of baguettes into the oven and bake for 25 minutes until golden brown.

For the stir fry finish

Finely slice the red onion, chilli and brussels sprouts or any vegetables you want to add. Finely slice / tear the leftover turkey and have the gravy warmed up and ready.

Heat ½ tbsp vegetable oil in a wok to a high heat and stir fry the vegetables first for 1 minute. Then add the sliced turkey / leftover meat to the wok and stir fry for a further 2 minutes. Pour the gravy into the wok and bring to a vigorous boil. Season with fish sauce and palm sugar and lastly add the Thai basil and fold into the stir-fry before serving.

Slice the banh mi in half and then spoon the stir-fry in to fill the baguette. Top with crispy shallots and tuck in.