Directions

• Do you know people who say that when they knead a dough or when they prepare a bread they say that they love to do this? Well, I am also among such people. It is simply satisfying to see how much work you put in for an absolutely delicious end. For those of you who still don’t understand this, know that you have to work with your heart and love what you do, arm yourself with patience, be prepared for a possible failure, but most importantly visualize the final product and look forward to enjoying it. So, because I’m done with the story, here’s what we need for the mini loaves with seeds.
• First, add the flour to a large bowl. Make sure that the flour is well dried, that is, when you squeeze a little in your hand, there are no lumps. For more safety, you can sift the flour, many recipes say that it should be sifted twice. I only do this step if I’m working with a new type of flour and I don’t know exactly its consistency and behavior in baked products. Normally, with the filling of a teaspoon, or a wooden spoon, make an indentation in the middle of the flour. Add the yeast, sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of warm water. Mix gently with a little flour and let the yeast activate for 10 minutes.
• You will see how the yeast forms small bubbles, then you will realize that it has been activated. Add salt and gradually warm water and mix with a wooden spoon. After incorporating all the flour well, add 3 quarters of the amount of olive oil and incorporate it as well. At the moment we have a soft and annoyingly sticky shell, but as I said from the beginning, we arm ourselves with patience. Wet your hand in a bowl with warm water and begin to gently knead the dough, gathering along the edge of the bowl and bringing it to the center. Do not knead for more than 5 min. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 30-40 minutes.
• At this moment, the dough has risen nicely, almost doubling its volume, but it’s time for a new round of kneading. This time we add the seed mix and the rest of the olive oil. Knead until the seeds are well incorporated into the dough. I remind you that to knead more easily you can wet your hands with water. Although we are working with a sticky dough, I advise you to resist the temptation to add flour. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it doubles in volume.
• As you can see in the last picture from the previous step, the dough has risen nicely, full of air bubbles and delicious seeds. Ok, now the funny and messy part begins. Sprinkle plenty of flour on the work table and turn the dough over. Divide into 6 pieces, I know that I had to weigh each piece so that the mini loaves with seeds are equal, but I skipped this step and divided them optically. Stretch and wrap each piece, then give the desired shape and place them on a tray lined with baking paper. We cover the tray with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 20 minutes. At this moment we turn on the oven and set the temperature to 200 degrees, put a pan of water on the grill of the oven to create steam.
• The last step, finally. With a sharp blade or a very sharp knife, slightly raise the mini loaves with seeds. Spread the bread with tomato sauce and decorate with mixed seeds. Put the tray in the oven for 10-15 minutes. After the 15 minutes have passed, we take out the kettle with water, it has completed its role, the crust of the loaves has formed nicely, now we can let them bake completely. We reduce the temperature to 180 degrees and bake for about 20 minutes.
• The smell of freshly baked bread filled the whole house. A wonderful feeling of joy and satisfaction envelops me. Before removing the mini loaves with seeds from the oven, gently tap the bottom, if it sounds hollow they are baked, if not, extend the baking time for 5 min. We take the loaves out of the oven and place them on a grill so that they cool down evenly. These breads are super delicious, perfect for sandwiches or dipping into sauces. Yummy…