Mini Bread Loaf

The aroma of freshly baked bread has the magical ability to transport you into nostalgia. While homemade bread wasn’t something my mom would make regularly, it would make an appearance in our house about once a year. Usually, that would be in early autumn, after visiting a pumpkin patch, where she would inevitably buy a jar of homemade apple butter. I enjoyed the apple butter, but more than that, I knew this would inspire her to bake a loaf of homemade bread, which was the best part.

Making these mini white bread loaves will fill your home with a bakery aroma and result in a perfectly soft loaf of bread with a deliciously crispy crust. What’s really special about this recipe is that each small loaf of bread is perfectly sized for the dinner table. Serve it with homemade soup or stew, and you have the perfect accompaniment to a hearty dinner.

Ingredients for a Mini Bread Loaf

• Yeast: A single packet of active dry yeast will give rise to these mini bread loaves, resulting in a light and airy texture.
• Sugar: Granulated white sugar serves several purposes in this recipe. The most obvious effect of adding sugar is it sweetens the dough, making the finished product slightly less earthy. Sugar is also hygroscopic, meaning it can absorb water from its surroundings. In a bread recipe, the sugar will absorb and hold liquid, producing a less dry loaf of bread. Finally, sugar feeds the yeast. When the yeast feed on the sugars in the dough, they produce carbon dioxide bubbles, which make the bread rise and give it the light, airy texture we want in white bread.
• Flour: All-purpose flour works well for this bread recipe. However, there are several types of flour that will alter the structure or texture of the final product.
• Milk: Whole milk has more milkfat, which creates a softer crumb, adds moisture and flavor, and produces a richer tasting bread dough.
• Butter: Adding melted butter to a bread recipe will tenderize the dough and limit the gluten development, which yields softer, less chewy results.

Directions

Step 1: Prep the yeast

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In a large bowl, combine the warm water and sugar, and mix until the sugar dissolves. Add in the yeast and let it sit until bubbles start to form on the surface, one to two minutes.

Step 2: Make the dough

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Add 1-1/2 cups of the flour, the salt, milk and butter. Mix the ingredients for three minutes on medium speed, using a food processor or stand mixer, until dough begins to form. Add the remaining flour in small batches while mixing, until a soft dough ball has formed.

Step 3: Knead the dough, let it rise

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Turn the dough onto a floured surface, and knead it until it becomes smooth and elastic, six to eight minutes. Roll the dough into a ball and place it into a greased bowl, turning it once to grease the top. Cover the bowl, and let the dough rise in a warm location until it doubles, about 45 minutes.

Step 4: Shape the dough, let it rise again

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Preheat the oven to 375°F. Punch down the dough, then divide it in half and shape it into loaves. Place the dough into two greased mini (5-3/4x3x2-inch) bread pans. Cover the pans, and let the dough rise again until it doubles in size, about 30 minutes.

Step 5: Bake the bread

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Bake the bread on the center rack in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove it from the pans to wire racks to cool, and brush the tops of the loaves with melted butter.

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Mini Bread Loaf Variations

• Make it herbal: Add some fresh herbs, like rosemary, thyme and chives, for a more savory loaf.
• Give it a cinnamon swirl: Before shaping it into loaves, flatten the dough and spread on a layer of butter, then cinnamon and brown sugar. Roll and shape the dough, place it into the bread pans and bake as directed.
• Make a fruit-and-nut loaf: Add raisins, crushed walnuts, dried cranberries, dates or pecans while kneading the dough, then proceed with the recipe as directed.

How to Store a Mini Bread Loaf

These baked mini loaves can be covered with plastic or placed into zip-top bags and stored in the pantry or on the counter for up to two days.

Can you freeze mini bread loaves?

You certainly can. In fact, we recommend doubling the recipe so you’ll have a couple loaves to use right away, and a couple to freeze. For the best results, wrap the bread in plastic, then foil, and place it in the freezer for up to two months.

Mini Bread Loaf Tips

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What if I don’t have a mini bread pan?

You can still make mini white bread despite not having small loaf pans. Substitute the loaf pans with an oven-safe pot, a small baking crock or a Dutch oven. Line the pot with parchment paper to ensure the bread can easily be removed after baking.

Do these mini white bread loaves make good French toast?

If you have any bread left over the morning after baking it, try this recipe for the best-ever French toast.

Can I use whole wheat flour?

Absolutely! Just follow the recipe, but substitute whole wheat flour for the all-purpose. Be prepared to add more water to the dough than the original recipe calls for, because whole wheat flour will absorb more liquid.