Most of the “recommended articles” and thinly disguised ads that pop up on my browser homepage aren’t worth the time spent reading the blurb. If I could make them magically disappear, without spending time or money, I’d do it in a heartbeat. But then I’d miss out on the interesting tidbits that appear once or twice a month.
One of those tidbits touted the advantages of using a single cup of flour to make a miniature loaf of bread, white bread at that.
Admittedly, I had a hard time imagining a time when I would go to the effort of measuring, kneading, dirtying dishes, and heating the oven for a tiny loaf of bread. I bake regularly for the three people currently living at home Monday through Thursday, which grows to include my son and his family Friday through Sunday, and swells even more when the college-age kids and their families come home for vacations.
In general, I would never make this loaf of bread. I’ve never catered to picky eaters. Well, until now. My little granddaughter, Sweet Pea, has been little from the get-go. She’s never even made it into the first percentile of the growth charts. We all go to great lengths to get her to eat because the doctors keep yammering on about her size. (Someday they’ll settle down and just accept that she’s fun-size. There’s nothing wrong with her motor skills or mental development. At 2.5 years, she’s speaking in five-word sentences and using vocabulary and expressions worthy of most first-graders.)
However, there are times when people are sick and actually need a low-fiber diet (like with diverticulitis), and white bread is very low in fiber. It’s not what the rest of us would eat, as we all need a high fiber diet and prefer whole wheat bread. And if a grandchild needed to gain weight and wouldn’t eat wheat bread, or somehow needed to be enticed with white bread, maybe cut into cute shapes for sandwiches, I’d be happy to have this recipe to help me out. Perhaps an elderly family member develops a finicky palate. After having observed my mother-in-law with the effects of Parkinson’s the past few years, I can easily imagine this happening.
White Bread Mini-Loaf
1/3 cup lukewarm water
¾ teaspoon instant yeast
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast onto the water and swirl it in with your finger. Add the flour and salt and stir them in well. Scoop the dough onto the counter and knead for 3-5 minutes, or until very smooth. Cover and let rise until doubled in volume, about 1-2 hours.
Punch dough down, and roll it out and then roll it up into a tiny loaf or shape it into a log for a sub sandwich roll. Place it in a greased pan and let rise about 40 minutes. Bake at 350°F 30-35 minutes, or until it reaches 195°F using an instant-read thermometer.
Family reviews: Remember, we don’t eat white bread here. We all thought it tasted just fine, better with butter and jam. I will note that this was really easy to make, just kneading one cup of flour, and because it’s such a small amount, you only need to dirty one hand. You can keep the other clean and not waste so much dough. I’d definitely use this recipe if I needed to make low-fiber bread for a family member or if I wanted to make a couple of little sandwiches for children.
Links to related posts:
All the Different Kinds of Yeast
References:
https://lifehacker.com/make-a-mini-loaf-of-bread-with-a-single-cup-of-flour-1850950863
Note that I altered the amount of water used. The ½ cup of water called for in the original recipe meant that I had to add in nearly ½ cup of additional flour to yield a smooth dough, thus defeating the idea of using a single cup of flour to make a loaf of bread.
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