Mini French Bread Loaves Serves 2 Food

MINI FRENCH LOAVES

Steps:

• In a bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add sugar, seasonings, cheeses and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down; divide in half. Roll each half into a 15x10-in. rectangle. Roll up from long side; seal well. Cut each into three 5-in. loaves; seal ends. Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Brush loaves with water. Cover with plastic wrap coated with cooking spray; let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes With a very sharp knife, make three shallow diagonal cuts across top. Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan; cool on a wire rack Brush with butter.

MINI FRENCH BREAD LOAVES (SERVES 2)

Steps:

• Place the bread flour, salt, and yeast in a food processor, and process for 3 seconds to blend. With the machine running, pour 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons water through the feed tub; process until the dough holds together, about 20 seconds. The dough should be a sticky mass, and it should appear difficult to knead by hand. If the dough is too dry, add more water, a tablespoon at a time, processing for 5 seconds after each addition.
• Lightly grease a medium-size mixing bowl with olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn it to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise at room temperature until it has nearly doubled in bulk, 2 to 3 hours.
• Punch the dough down and let it rise again until nearly doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
• Sprinkle a cutting board or work surface with a little flour, place the dough on it, and cut the dough into 2 pieces. Shape the pieces into balls, sprinkling them with a little flour if necessary to make them easier to handle. Place the balls of dough on an ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle a little flour over each round (to keep the plastic wrap from sticking), and cover them lightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough balls rise until nearly doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. To make a crisp crust, fill a clean spray bottle with water and spritz the inside of the oven with water just before you slide the bread into the oven.
• Bake the bread rounds until golden and crusty, about 10 minutes. Fremove the baking sheet from the oven or, If you like a crustier loaf, leave the bread in the oven with the door closed for 5 minutes after you have turned off the oven.
• Transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool. Serve it warm or at room temperature.

FABULOUS FRENCH LOAVES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
• In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture with 2 cups water, 3 cups flour, salt, sugar and vegetable oil; stir well to combine. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 9- x 12-inch rectangle and roll up jelly roll style, starting at long edge. Seal edges and place seam side down on a large baking sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal.
• Use a sharp knife to slash each loaf diagonally 3 times. Brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cover and allow to rise 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
• Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

MINI BREAD ROLLS & LOAVES

Steps:

• By hand: Mix the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a large bowl and make a well in the centre.
• Add the oil and a little water. Mix well adding a little water at a time until you have formed a ball of dough.
• Transfer to a floured surface and knead for 10 to 12 minutes.
• Check your dough is ready by using the windowpane test.
• KitchenAid: Add flour, salt, sugar and yeast to the mixing bowl, make a well and add the oil and half the water.
• Mix on slow speed number 1 for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the rest of the water and mix on number 2 speed for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Check your dough is ready by using the windowpane test.
• Place your dough in a large greased bowl and cover.
• Leave to rest in a warm place for at least one and a half hours or until doubled in size.
• Mini Bread Rolls: Transfer the dough to an oiled work surface and divide into 45 g / 2 oz portions ( 16 - 18 ) for rolls or 12 x 70 g / 3 oz for mini loaves. I like to weigh them to make sure they get an even bake but you can divide into equal portions by eye if you prefer.
• Shape dough portions into balls, cupping in your hands and place them on a large baking sheet. Leave no more than 2½ cm (1 inch) between each dough ball and you will end up with the rolls touching each other - this will keep them nice and soft.
• Gently press the balls of dough to flatten them a little.
• Mini Loaves: Shape dough portions into balls and then roll into lengths to fit your loaf tin.
• Cover with greased clingfilm/plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for approximately 30 to 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C fan / 200°C / Gas Mark 6
• Place your baking tray or tin in the oven for approximately 20 to 25 minutes, checking halfway through the cooking time and turning the baking sheet around if some rolls are browning too quickly.
• Place on a baking rack to cool.