Pullman Bread: A Slice of the Past

Light, fluffy Pullman bread hearkens back to the days of luxury travel on Chicago's Pullman railcars in the late 1800s and early 1900s, when the bread was a staple of the fine cuisine served in Pullman’s chandeliered dining cars. The Chicago-based Pullman company favored the use of a special rectangular bread pan with a sliding flat lid that was compact and easy to store on the train cars. Even though this type of pan was already being used in the baking world to make pain de mie sandwich bread, it became so closely associated with Pullman trains that it came to be known as the Pullman pan. Bread baked in this type of pan was ideal for use in Pullman kitchens because both the bread and the pans stacked well and made for an efficient use of space. Bakers use the Pullman pan today to bake soft sandwich bread with an even crumb, a fine texture, and minimal crust. 

The Pullman Palace Car Company was founded in 1867 by George Pullman with the goal of making train travel a more comfortable and luxurious experience. The company manufactured train sleeping cars, hotel cars, parlor cars, and dining cars and leased them out, also providing employees that staffed the railcars. What is now the Pullman neighborhood on the South Side was once the location of Pullman’s main factories and was also the town where Pullman workers lived.  

The town of Pullman, completed in 1884, was originally meant to be a sort of utopia for Pullman’s workers. Employee housing took the form of rented row houses, many of which still stand in the Pullman neighborhood today. Living conditions in Pullman were above the standards of the day, with daily trash collection, indoor plumbing, gas, sanitary facilities, front and back yards, and recreational facilities. By 1883 the population of Pullman surpassed 8,000. In 1893, it was an attraction for visitors attending the World’s Columbian Exposition.

But by 1894, all was not well. The U.S. was in an economic depression, and demand for railcars had declined. George Pullman lowered employees’ wages and increased working hours without lowering their rents. A strike broke out at Pullman factories in 1894. Despite the strike, which became violent, no concessions were given to the workers, and destitution became widespread in Pullman. 

In 1894, the government designated Labor Day as a federal holiday in part as a response to the strike. George Pullman died in 1897, and steel and concrete were placed over his casket to prevent labor activists from desecrating it. In 1898, the Illinois Supreme Court ordered the Pullman Company to sell all of its non-industrial land. The company was no longer in the landlord business. By the early 1900s, the town of Pullman had lost both population and its community identity.

A new company president, Robert Todd Lincoln (President Lincoln’s son), took the lead of the Pullman company in 1897. He would eventually return the company to success. By 1925, Pullman was the nation’s largest employer of African Americans. Pullman’s Black porters were known for providing excellent service on Pullman sleeper cars. The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP), the first Black labor union, was founded in this year. 

With the rising popularity of air travel, Pullman Company factories consolidated and downsized through the 1960s. In 1969, the Pullman Company was dissolved and all its assets liquidated. 

Part of the Pullman neighborhood is now a National Historical Park, and free ranger-guided tours are given daily. The neighborhood is also home to the National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum. The Historic Pullman Foundation also gives walking tours of the neighborhood for a fee.

If you want to bring a slice of history into your home, here is a recipe to make your own Pullman bread. It requires a Pullman pan, but these are inexpensive and easy to find (costing around $12 to $35 on Amazon, depending on the length). Plus, they’ll give your bread a store-bought look and are great for sandwiches, French toast, croutons, and bread pudding. 

Pullman Bread

*Based on a recipe by PJ Hamel of the King Arthur Baking Company

*Requires one 9 in. x 4 in. x 4 in. Pullman bread pan and makes one loaf (I recommend using this brand of pan)

Ingredients:

7/8 c. to 1 c. lukewarm water (use the lesser amount in a humid environment or during the summer and the greater amount in a dry climate or during the winter)

1 heaping tbsp. honey

1 ½ tsp. table salt

2 tbsp. soft butter

2 ¼ tsp. instant yeast

3 ¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

¼ c. nonfat dry milk

Directions:

1. Measure your flour by spooning it into a cup and then sweeping off any excess. In a large bowl, mix
together all of the ingredients in the order listed. Mix and knead by hand or using a stand
mixer to make a smooth dough. Add a little extra water if needed. The dough won’t be particularly soft or stiff; it should be smooth and feel bouncy and elastic.

2. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover. Let it rise for 60-90 minutes until it becomes quite puffy, although not necessarily doubled in size.

3. Gently deflate the dough. Do this by making a fist and gently pressing it down in the center of the dough to release the air bubbles. Shape the dough into a 9-in. log. Lightly grease your Pullman pan, including the bottom of the lid. Place the dough in the pan without the lid. Cover the pan with plastic wrap.

4. Let the dough rise for about 60 minutes, until it’s within about a ½-in. of the top of the pan. Preheat the oven to 350 F toward the end of the rising time.

5. Remove the plastic wrap and slide the lid onto the pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove
the lid and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until it’s a rich golden brown. A
thermometer inserted into the center should read 195 F to 200 F. If you prefer a lighter-
colored crust, tent the loaf with foil as soon as you remove the pan lid.

6. Remove the bread from the oven and turn it out onto a rack to cool. When completely
cool, wrap in plastic and store at room temperature.

Sources:

Lynne Oliver, “Pullman Loaf,” The Food Timeline.

James D. Porterfield, Dining by Rail (St. Martin’s Griffin: New York, 1993).

Amy Bizzarri, Iconic Chicago Dishes, Drinks and Desserts (American Palate (The History Press): Charleston, SC, 2016).

Laurie Ellen Pellicano, “Baking Pros Love the Pullman Loaf Pan—You Will Too,” Epicurious (March 24, 2022).

Maurizio Leo, “Pain de Mie Sandwich Bread,” The Perfect Loaf (August 16, 2024).

Grant Yoder, “Sourdough Pullman Loaf,” Grant Bakes (January 30, 2024).

PJ Hamel, "A Smaller Pain de Mie," King Arthur Baking Company.

“A Brief Overview of the Pullman Story,” National Park Service. 

“The History of Pullman,” Historic Pullman Foundation.

“5 Interesting Facts about Pullman Loaves,” Lloyd Pans.

“Pullman Inc.,” Encyclopedia of Chicago.

“Pullman Loaf,” Wikipedia.