Pink Dragonfruit Bahn Mi

In February 2020, a bakery in Vietnam created a series of pink dragonfruit bread to use up the tons of dragonfruit going unsold due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

This exceptional dragon fruit Bahn Mi combines the subtle hint of floral sweetness, rich, savoury meat and bright, crunchy pickles and fresh herbs, all stuffed into a stunning pink baguette!

What you’ll need

For Pink Dragonfruit Baguette (makes 4:

• 250g plain flour
• 1 ½ teaspoon instant dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 160g pink dragonfruit, peeled, cut and mashed

For Daikon and Carrot Pickles (Do Chua):

• 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into thick matchsticks
• 450g/1 pound daikon, no larger than 2 inches in diameter, peeled and cut into thick matchsticks
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons plus 1/2 cup sugar
• 1  1/4 cups distilled white vinegar
• 1 cup lukewarm water

For Bahn Mi:

• 2 pink dragonfruit baguette
• 3 tbsp pate
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise 
• 2-4 slices roast beef
• 2-4 slices ham 
• Daikon and carrot pickles (Do Chua)
• 3/4 cup fresh coriander/cilantro sprigs 
• Half a cucumber, finely sliced lengthwise into long strips
• 1 red chilli, finely sliced 

How to make it

For Pink Dragonfruit Baguette:

1. In a mixing bowl of stand mixer, combine the yeast, sugar and mashed pink dragonfruit. Stir well to dissolve. Add half of the flour (125 g) and stir well to create a thick mixture with consistency of pancake batter. Cover and leave it in a warm place for 2-3 hours, until bubbles appear all over.
2. Add the rest of the flour and salt to the starter dough and using the dough hook on a stand mixer, knead until  the dough comes together and elastic – around 10 to 15 minutes. If the dough too dry or wet, add 1 tablespoon of water or flour at a time.
3. Cover with kitchen towel and rest dough in a warm place (35-37 deg C or 95-98 deg F) for 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
4. Carefully transfer the dough onto the working surface. Try not to deflate it. With a scrapper or knife, divide the dough into 4 equal portions (each portion should weigh about 100g). Twist each portion inside out and form into a ball. Cover with kitchen towel and rest for 10 minutes.
5. Portion by portion, roll out with a rolling pin into round shape. Roll it and pinch the edges together. Place both hands on top of the dough, roll it back and forth on the counter, applying more pressure on your baby fingers than your thumbs to shape it into banh mi (wider in middle and thinner at both ends).
6. Place the shaped dough on a baguette pan and cover with kitchen towel. Let rest for another hour until doubled in size.
7. Preheat oven and the baking tray at 230 deg C/450 deg F for at least 15 minutes before baking. Place a tray of hot water at the bottom of the oven.
8. Score the baguette with a sharp knife, bread lame or razor blade and bake immediately.
9. Spray water on both sides of the oven and on the dough.
10. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 230 deg C/450 deg F in the middle of the oven. After the first 8 to 10 minutes, spray water on the baguettes and rotate the baguette pan to bake the baguettes evenly.
11. When the baguettes are done, turn the oven off and leave them in the oven for another 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on a rack.

For Carrot and Daikon Pickles (Do Chua):

12. Place the carrot and daikons in a bowl and sprinkle with the salt and 2 teaspoons of the sugar. Knead the vegetables for a few minutes, expelling the water from them. As they, soften, liquid will pool at the bottom of the bowl. Stop kneading when you can bend a piece of daikon so that the ends touch but the daikon does not break. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water, then press gently to expel extra water. Return the vegetables to the bowl if you plan to eat them soon, or transfer them to a 1-quart jar for longer storage.

13. To make the brine, in a bowl, combine the 1/2 cup sugar, the vinegar, and the water and stir to dissolve the sugar. Pour over the vegetables. The brine should cover the vegetables. Let the vegetables marinate in the brine for at least 1 hour before eating. Store in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.

To assemble the Bahn Mi:

14. Split rolls down the centre of the top.
15. Spread 1.5 tbsp pate on one side, then 1.5 tbsp mayonnaise over the pate.
16. Layer in the meats with cucumber slices.
17. Stuff in plenty of pickled carrots and daikon, and coriander sprigs.
18. Sprinkle with fresh chilli. Enjoy!