Recipe: Easy Mini Sourdough Bread Loaves

Recipe: Mini Sourdough Bread Loaves

Ingredients

• 2 cups of sourdough starter (We have a recipe for sourdough starter.)
• 1 1/4 cups warm water
• 1/2 Tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt or coarse sea salt
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil
• 4 cups of flour
• 1 Tablespoon of chopped dried rosemary

1. Dissolve the active dry yeast in the warm water for 1 to 2 minutes and then add to the mixing bowl.

2.  Add the starter and mix it into the yeast and water mixture for approximately 8 minutes with a dough hook on medium speed.

3. Add the remaining ingredients and use a dough hook on medium speed for approximately 10 minutes.

3. Remove the bowl and cover it with a warm damp cloth to allow it to rise.  It will take about 3 hours to rise.

4. Spray the bottom and sides of your mini loaf pan.

5. Remove the dough and knead to redistribute the yeast.  

6. Put the dough back in the bowl and cover it with a clean and damp warm towel.

7. Allow the dough to rise again. The amount of time is up to you, but we typically allow it to rise for 2 hours.

8. Split the dough into four pieces and roll into balls. You'll want to put each piece into a compartment of the mini bread pan. (Optionally, if you have four separate mini bread pans, this will work the same.)

9. Coat the surface of each piece of dough with the olive oil and place it into a compartment of the mini bread pan. You may also want to optionally sprinkle coarse sea salt and/or herbs on the top.  Score the top of each loaf of bread with a knife by creating hash marks.

10. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

11. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

12. Allow to cool on a baking rack for 20 minutes. 

Enjoy within a couple of days or freeze extra bread. Remember that this bread is not packed with the same preservatives that you find in many shelf stable breads at the grocery store, so you'll want to freeze extra bread from this recipe.