Semolina Mini Breads: The Tasty (and Therapeutic) Idea for Your Bread Basket
You know how it goes: some days a bit of gloom or a small annoyance can only be fixed with “kitchen shopping therapy”. It happened to me a few weeks ago when, in a moment of mild dissatisfaction, I finally bought the mini loaf pan I had had my eye on for a long time.
Compensating moods with a new utensil is therapeutic, don’t you think? It helps me find creativity and a smile again, especially when the result is a creative recipe like the one I’m about to share!
From sweet mini plum cakes to savory Mini Breads
At first, my plan was to make healthy mini plum cakes for breakfast (you can already find the video recipe on my YouTube channel and it will soon be on the blog too!). But once my sweet craving was satisfied, I couldn’t stop there. I wanted something unusual, tasty and absolutely versatile.
That’s how my Semolina Mini Breads with dry sourdough starter were born.
One dough, a thousand fillings: let your imagination run wild!
The beauty of these little breads is that the semolina dough is a blank canvas. I had fun creating different savory versions adding: fresh scallion for an aromatic touch, olives and sun-dried tomatoes for southern flavors, anise seeds for an old-fashioned, distinctive aroma.
The only limit is your imagination: the more you have, the more you add!
Perfect for the table or an outdoor picnic
These mini breads are an original idea and definitely eye-catching to present in the bread basket, perhaps alongside homemade breadsticks and crackers. With the arrival of spring, they become perfect protagonists for an outdoor picnic or a day trip: you can prepare them in advance and everyone loves them, adults and children alike.
They are delicious eaten alone as a tasty snack, but they shine best when paired with a board of cold cuts and cheeses.
Other rustic recipes to enrich your table that you might like:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 3 Hours 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 35 Minutes
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons, Easter
Ingredients
- 400 about 3 1/3 cups (approx. 14 oz) all-purpose flour (260W)
- 300 about 1 3/4 cups re-milled durum wheat semolina
- 1 packet dried sourdough starter (dry madre)
- 420 about 1 3/4 cups (420 ml) water (at room temperature)
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (+ as needed for brushing)
- 9 about 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 fresh scallion (spring onion)
- 4 black olives
- 25 about 1 oz (approx. 3 tbsp) sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- 15 about 2 tbsp anise seeds
- 20 4 tsp (20 ml) water
- 10 2 tsp (10 ml) extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- 1 Stand mixer
- 1 Kitchen scale
- 1 Dough scraper
- 1 Small bowl
- 1 Pastry brush
- 1 Loaf pan / mold
Preparation
In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, sift and combine both flours with a wooden spoon together with the starter* and the sugar.
With the paddle attachment begin working the dough, pouring the room-temperature water little by little.
When the dough gradually gains structure, switch to the hook attachment and incorporate the oil and salt as well.
Knead by hand or let the machine work for about 5 minutes until the dough detaches from the sides of the bowl and becomes elastic.
Turn the dough out onto an unfloured work surface and continue to knead for a few more minutes.
You should obtain a fairly compact and homogeneous dough ball. Place it in a well-oiled bowl and cover with an airtight lid or a clean, dry cloth.
Let rise for 2 hours in a turned-off oven with the light on until it doubles in volume.
Turn the bowl over onto the work surface, allowing the dough to slide out gently. Proceed to portion the dough, dividing it into 8 pieces of about 4.6 oz (≈130 g) each.
Flatten each piece with your hands and add what you like. I used anise seeds; in others I added well-drained, chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil, sliced fresh scallion or olives.
Fold and shape each piece by performing a rounding (pirlatura)** to obtain perfectly spherical, smooth and compact rolls.
Place the rolls in the cavities of a well-oiled mini loaf pan or on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush the surface with a little water and oil.
Let rise covered in a turned-off oven with the light on for another hour or until they double in size.
After the rising time, score the rolls down the center with a sharp knife.
Brush them again with a little water and oil.
Finally, let them rise covered for another 30 minutes again in a turned-off oven with the light on until they double in size.
Place in a preheated oven set to static/conventional mode at 356°F for 35 minutes, also placing a small saucepan with hot water so that the steam produced helps the mini rolls rise and encourages an even crumb. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
Carefully unmold the rolls from the pan and let them cool completely.
And voilà… the filled semolina mini breads are ready to be enjoyed!
Details!
How much I loved photographing them?
Enjoy from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉To keep your semolina mini breads soft and fragrant like just pulled from the oven, store them at room temperature for 2–3 days inside a paper bag (the bread bag) and then seal them in a plastic bag away from heat sources or direct light. This trick will prevent them from becoming too hard or, conversely, gummy.
Tips, notes, variations and suggestions
🔵*Substituting Dried Sourdough Starter (1 packet ≈ 35 g): if you don’t have dried sourdough starter available, you can replace it with active dry yeast. You only need about 4–5 g (roughly 1–1 1/2 tsp). Alternatively, use fresh baker’s yeast (cake), about 12–15 g (≈ 0.4–0.5 oz). Because you remove 35 g of dried starter (which adds mass), if the dough seems too soft add an extra 20–25 g of flour while kneading to balance the consistency.
Another option is substitution with fresh solid sourdough starter (refreshed and active). The amount is about 80–100 g (≈ 2.8–3.5 oz). Remember to remove about 50 g (≈1/3 cup) of flour and 30–40 ml (≈ 2–3 tbsp) of water from the total of the original recipe, because they are already present in the starter you add.
🔸A little trick: If you want rolls that are even more fragrant (like those made with sourdough), use only 2 g of dry yeast (about 2/3 tsp) and let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 12 hours: the 260 W flour will mature perfectly enhancing the flavors.
🔵** The rounding (pirlatura) phase is essential to ensure even growth of the dough during proofing.
1. Can I use fresh sourdough starter instead of the dried one?
Certainly! If you prefer solid sourdough starter (pasta madre), use about 100 g (≈ 3.5 oz) for 500 g of semolina, slightly reducing the amount of water called for in the recipe. Remember that rising times will be a bit longer.
2. What if I don’t have a mini plum cake mold?
No problem! You can shape small balls (like rolls) and bake them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The mold, however, helps give that regular, “professional” shape that makes them lovely to present at the table.
3. Can I prepare the dough in advance?
Yes, you can let the dough rise in the refrigerator overnight (slow maturation). This will make your mini breads even more digestible and aromatic. Just bring it back to room temperature before shaping the rolls and baking.
