Mini Bread Loaves

Total Time: 2 hrs 6 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 1 hr 6 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup room temp water (75-f)
• 1 teaspoon dry yeast
• 3/4 cup flour
• 6 cups water
• 1 teaspoon dry yeast
• 4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 13 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or 1 tablespoon butter, to paint crusts (optional)

Recipe

• 1 starter.
• 2 combine water and yeast in a large bowl and mix well.
• 3 add ¾ cup flour and whisk 100 times.
• 4 cover and let set one hour.
• 5 dough.
• 6 add an additional tsp of dry yeast, 6 cups of (room temp.) water, 4 cups of flour and kosher salt to starter mix.
• 7 whisk 50 times and let stand 2 minutes.
• 8 using a large spoon mix in 2 cups of flour until well incorporated.
• 9 add 3 cups of flour and mix until well incorporated.
• 10 add another 3 cups of flour and mix until well incorporated.
• 11 let dough rest 5 minutes.
• 12 cover working surface with generous amount of flour (about a cup).
• 13 turn soft wet dough onto surface and sprinkle with flour.
• 14 dip your hands in flour and knead the dough.
• 15 (push it down and forward with the heel of one hand. then pull dough back from the top and fold dough over with the other.).
• 16 gradually add the last cup of flour as you knead for about 5 minutes.
• 17 shape dough into a ball and return to large bowl that has been lightly coated with 1 ½ tsp olive oil.
• 18 brush top with ½ tsp olive oil.
• 19 cover and let rise until doubled (approx an hour).
• 20 deflate the dough, turn out unto a floured surface and knead for about a minute.
• 21 separate dough in half.
• 22 separate each half in half.
• 23 divide these pieces into fourths.
• 24 (you should have 16 pieces. and sometimes i get 18 pieces-- lol).
• 25 shape each piece into a tight ball and place on a greased baking sheet (up to 6 to a sheet).
• 26 let rise for 30 minutes.
• 27 preheat oven to 450f and place oven racks in the center of the oven.
• 28 place a pan of water under the racks where the bread will bake.
• 29 place loaves in hot oven for ten minutes.
• 30 *spray/sprinkle loaves with water.
• 31 reduce heat to 400f and continue baking for 10-12 minutes.
• 32 remove from oven.
• 33 paint w/ butter or oil for a softer crust (optional).
• 34 *for crustier loaves keep the 450f bake time to 20 minutes and omit 400f bake & water spritz.