White Bread Mini Loaf

White Bread Mini Loaf

The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Rise: 75 mins
Total: 2 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Nothing beats a loaf of warm bread. No matter the time of the day, bread is one of the most versatile and easy side dishes around. Our mini loaf of bread is perfect for all occasions, from special breakfasts and brunches to everyday lunches and dinners. Because of its small size, this loaf is very pretty and makes a cute addition to cheese platters and charcuterie boards. A total hit with kids, the mini bread can be sliced and made into small sandwiches or stuffed with your favorite cheeses and cold cuts to make a hearty one-loaf sandwich to share at picnics or backyard events. Our recipe makes one loaf, but you can double or triple the ingredients to make some more.

This is vegetarian dough as it has milk, but it can be made into a vegan loaf by swapping the dairy for a plant-based beverage. Besides bread flour and yeast, you need very few additional ingredients. Our instructions make it really easy to make, and this recipe is a great start for novice bakers. Due to its size, this loaf is just right for baking in a solar oven.

If you're a rookie in the bread-making world, start by buying good-quality ingredients and properly storing your yeast and flour to ensure a great rise, a proper crumb, and overall good-quality loaves of bread. When it comes to baking and making bread, small details make all of the difference in your end result.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup room temperature water

  • 2 tablespoons milk, full fat, skim, or plant based 

  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, plus more as needed

  • 1/2 teaspoon dry active yeast

  • 3/4 teaspoon sugar

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup bread flour, plus more as needed

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for white bread mini loaf recipe gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the water, milk, oil, yeast, and sugar. Wait for about 10 minutes for the mixture to become bubbly and activate the yeast.

    Water, milk, oil, yeast, sugar, and salt in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  3. Slowly mix in the flour and salt until a firm dough is formed. You may not need the full cup, or you may need a little extra.

    Mix ingredients in the bowl to form dough

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  4. Knead the dough on a lightly floured board for 3 minutes, adding small sprinkles of flour only as needed.

    Knead dough on a floured wood board

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  5. Place the dough in a greased bowl. Flip it over inside the bowl so that the dough top is also lightly greased.

    Dough ball in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  6. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.

    Dough in a bowl covered with a kitchen towel

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  7. Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead out air.

    Dough on a floured wood board

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  8. Shape it into mini loaf.

    Dough shaped into a mini yeast loaf

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  9. Place the loaf in a greased mini loaf tin.

    Dough in a mini loaf tin

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  10. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 350 F.

    Dough in a mini loaf tin covered with a kitchen towel

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  11. Bake the bread for 40 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. Baking time will be longer if baked in a solar oven. Spraying loaves with water while they bake will produce a crispy crust, and brushing them with a beaten egg white before baking will produce a shiny crust.

    Dough in a mini loaf tin

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  12. Remove the loaf from the pan and let cool on a wire rack.

    Baked white bread mini loaf in a mini loaf tin

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  13. Slice bread after it has cooled. Enjoy it with your favorite spreads. To keep the bread soft, store it in a plastic bag.

    White bread mini loaf sliced on a wood cutting board

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  14. Enjoy!

How to Make Your Own Bread Flour

Bread flour has a higher amount of gluten than all-purpose flour. This means that bread made with bread flour will rise higher than bread made with all-purpose flour. You can make your own bread flour by removing 1 1/2 teaspoons of flour from 1 cup of properly measured flour and replacing them with the same amount of vital wheat gluten. You will find gluten in the baking aisle of most supermarkets, and it's easily available online.


Vital wheat gluten improves the elasticity in your doughs, making your loaves chewier and allowing a better rise.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
142 Calories
2g Fat
26g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 142
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 2%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 137mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 26g 10%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 15mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 51mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)