How to Make Sourdough Mini Loaves

If you have never baked sourdough mini loaves, give them a try. They are adorable, customizable, and make perfect holiday gifts.

The method is similar to the double loaf pan technique, but this time you will use mini loaf pans. And yes, you will proof your sourdough directly in the mini pans. No bannetons needed.

You can make sourdough mini loaves using my Beginner's Sourdough Bread recipe or my Master Sourdough Bread recipe, depending on your experience level.

If you are new to sourdough, start with my Beginner's Sourdough Guide to learn the basics.

Why make sourdough mini bread loaves

• Sourdough mini loaves are perfect when you want all the flavor and texture of traditional sourdough bread, but in smaller, more manageable portions.

• They bake faster, cool quickly, and are ideal for gifting, freezing, or serving individual portions.

• While you can make a small batch sourdough bread for two, you can also have fun experimenting with flavors by baking a couple of mini loaves.

• Mini loaves also let you test different flours or mix-ins without committing to a full-sized loaf.

• They are perfect for sourdough mini loaf flights and often sell out fast, making them ideal for anyone selling sourdough bread.

• Plus, they look adorable on the table and are a great way to practice shaping and scoring on a smaller scale.

Ingredients

• Flour: Use unbleached bread flour with a protein content of at least 12.5%. For this recipe, I am using King Arthur bread flour with a protein content of 12.7%.
• Water: Use filtered, spring, or chlorine-free tap water. To dechlorinate the water, leave it in an open container on the counter overnight.
• Sourdough starter: Prepare a wheat levain or an active starter at 100% hydration, and use it when it is at its peak activity.
• Salt: Use fine sea salt. Avoid the iodized table salt.
• Avocado oil spray is used to grease mini loaf pans.

Before you start, make sure all ingredients are at room temperature and measure them accurately using a kitchen scale.

Here is the final bread formula to make three sourdough mini loaves:

Ingredient	Baker's Percentage	Weight
Bread flour	100%	500g
Water	75%	375g
Leavin/Active starter, 100% hydration	20%	100g
Fine sea salt	2%	10g

NOTES:

• The total dough weight is 985g, which is ideal for three mini loaf pans. For each Chicago mini loaf pan (5-¾ by 3-¼ by 2-¼ inches), I use 320g of dough. If you need to adjust the bread formula for your own loaf, try my sourdough calculator.
• My kitchen temperature is 73°F (23°C), with a humidity level of 40%
• Bulk fermentation: 6-7 hours with a 75-80% increase in dough size
• Proofing time: 14 hours cold-proof in the fridge
• Baking in a conventional oven: 430°F (230°C) with steam, 20 minutes; without steam, 15-17 minutes.

Tools & Equipment

• A kitchen scale for precise measurements.
• A large mixing bowl with enough space to mix and bulk ferment the dough.
• A probe thermometer for measuring dough temperature and the internal temperature of baked bread.
• A Danish dough whisk for mixing levain into water. Some bakers also use it to mix dough instead of using their hands.
• A bowl scraper for scraping dough from the sides of a bowl.
• An aliquot jar for tracking the rise of dough (if using the aliquot jar method). I use this 2.7-oz. plastic container.
• A damp linen or cotton towel to cover the dough and prevent drying. I love these flour sack towels.
• A bench scraper helps preshape the dough and clean your work surface.
• A dough scoring tool for slashing the dough. This bread lame is my favorite.
• Mini loaf pans: You will need three, each about 5.75 x 3 inches. If you plan to use the double-pan method, have three additional pans on hand to cover the loaves during baking. I use Chicago mini loaf pans and love how evenly they bake.
• Long oven mitts protect your hands from the high heat when handling the Dutch oven or roasting pan. These silicone gloves are my favorite.
• Bread knife: for slicing your sourdough bread into clean slices. Read more about how to choose the best bread knife.

How to make sourdough mini loaves

Make a levain (an active starter):

Feed your starter in the morning at a 1:1:1 ratio (35g each of starter, flour, and water) and let it peak for 4-6 hours. Alternatively, feed it the night before dough mixing, adjusting the ratio and timing to match your starter's usual peak.

Autolyse

In a large mixing bowl, combine the water and flour with your hands or a Danish dough whisk until a shaggy dough forms. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Mix the dough

Add the levain (active starter) to the dough and mix until well combined, then sprinkle in the sea salt. Use your hand to mix for 3 to 10 minutes, depending on your schedule and the level of gluten strength you want to develop. A more extended mix builds a stronger gluten network.

Set up the aliquot jar, if using the aliquot jar method, and check the dough level at the start.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let it rest for 30 minutes. Once the levain is added, the bulk fermentation officially begins.

Fold the dough

Begin with two sets of stretch and folds, spaced 30 minutes apart. Next, do two sets of coil folds, also 30 minutes apart. For each set, stretch the dough in all four directions. After every fold, take the dough's temperature and record it in your baking log.

Between each fold, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

Continue bulk fermentation

Let the dough continue fermenting, checking its temperature every 30 minutes to track its progress.

Bulk fermentation is complete when the dough reaches its target percentage rise (check your aliquot jar if you are using one). I usually aim for about an 80% rise at 73°F (24°C), though with King Arthur bread flour, I often push it to 90%, depending on the dough temperature.

By the end of fermentation, you should notice bubbles on the surface and along the sides (if you are using a glass bowl). The edges will look softly domed, and when you gently shake the bowl, the dough should wobble slightly with a light, airy feel.

Divide, preshape, and bench rest

Turn the dough out onto a surface lightly dusted with white rice flour, then divide it into three equal portions, each about 320 grams. Preshape each piece into a round and let it rest uncovered for 15 minutes.

Shape the dough

Shape each round into a mini batard using a cinching bread shaping technique.

Lightly sprinkle a little white rice flour on the dough round and your work surface to prevent the dough from sticking. Gently flip the dough onto your work surface, sticky side up, and stretch it into a rough rectangle.

Lift the left side of the dough and fold it about 1-1.5 inches toward the center, pressing lightly so it sticks.

Then, lift the right side, folding 1-1.5 inches toward the center, and press lightly. The sides don't need to overlap completely.

Use both hands to roll the dough tightly from bottom to top, pressing lightly as you go, until you have a smooth, firm cylinder.

Pinch the ends of the dough, then let it rest for 2-3 minutes to tighten the seam, or gently pull the long side toward you with your hands or a bench scraper to create surface tension.

Meanwhile, lightly grease the mini loaf pans with avocado oil. I usually spritz 2-3 times, then spread the oil evenly with a silicone brush to coat all corners and prevent sticking.

Use a bench scraper or just your hands to place the shaped dough, seam-side down, into the pan.

Proof the dough

Place mini loaf pans with the dough in a plastic bag, or cover them with disposable shower caps. Let the dough proof in the fridge for 12 to 16 hours, or up to 48 hours. The longer it proofs, the deeper and more complex the sourdough flavor will become.

Baking

You can bake sourdough in mini loaf pans using two methods: the single-loaf pan method, which adds steam manually, or the double-loaf pan method, which traps steam naturally.

Single-loaf pan method (my preferred method)

1. Place a heatproof pan (roasting pan, cast-iron skillet, or medium stainless steel pan) on the lower rack and preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, boil water.
2. Open the oven door and place the mini loaf pans on the middle rack, leaving space between them for air circulation.
3. Wear safety goggles and carefully pour 350-400 g of boiling water into the hot pan below, then quickly close the oven door. Optionally, spritz the dough and oven walls for extra steam.
4. Reduce the oven temperature to 430°F (220°C) and bake for 20 minutes. Using oven mitts, remove the steam pan, close the oven, and continue baking for 15-17 minutes until the loaves are golden brown.
5. Then, use oven mitts to remove the mini loaf pans, carefully release the loaves, and let them cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing.

Double-loaf pan method (great for electric and gas ovens)

1. Preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C) for 30 minutes.
2. Remove the mini loaf pans from the fridge, take off the covers, and score the tops with a single slash using a bread lame.
3. Place a second identical pan on top of each loaf to trap steam.
4. Using oven mitts, place the pan stacks in the oven. Lower the temperature to 450°F (230°C) and bake for 20 minutes.
5. After 20 minutes, carefully remove the top pans using oven mitts and continue baking for another 15-17 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.
6. Then, use oven mitts to remove the mini loaf pans, carefully release the loaves, and let them cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing.

Expert Tips

• Always use oven mitts or silicone gloves when handling hot pans.
• If you are using a steam pan, be cautious when adding boiling water, and consider wearing safety goggles for extra protection.
• When baking with two loaf pans, remove the top pan and cover the mini loaves with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning or burning.
• Check the internal temperature of bread: it should reach 205-210°F (96-99°C).
• For multiple batches, allow the oven to return to 500°F (260°C) before loading the next batch.
• Leave some space between mini loaf pans in the oven for even baking.
• Adjust baking time and temperature as needed, using tests to ensure perfect results.

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