Mini Chocolate + Strawberry Loaves

In the afternoon, when your starter has peaked, assemble your dough. 

Mix together the starter and water until the starter is fully dissolved and turns into a milky liquid. Add the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and salt. Mix everything together until a shaggy dough forms. Cover and let rest for 45 minutes. 

After resting, pull the sides of the dough up and towards the middle, rotating the bowl each time until a semi - smooth dough forms. Cover and let rest for           45 minutes - 1 hour. 

Uncover and perform first set of stretch and folds/coil folds. Cover and let rest for 45 minutes - 1 hour. 

Add the chocolate chips and dehydrated strawberries to the bowl and perform your second set of stretch and folds, working all the inclusions into the dough. Cover and let rest for 45 minutes - 1 hour. 

After resting, perform the last set of stretch and folds. All of the inclusions should be evenly distributed throughout, and the dough should be both strong and smooth. Cover with a damp bowl cover/ tea towel and let bulk ferment on the counter for 8 - 10 hours. 

The next morning, turn the dough over onto a lightly floured workspace. Using your bench scraper and food scale, separate the dough into 6 equal (375 gram) mini balls of dough. 

Shape into a small boule (round shape), and place seam side up in your mini bannetons. Place all the bannetons on a baking sheet and cover the whole thing with a tea towel or plastic wrap. Place the baking sheet in the fridge for at least two hours. 

When you're ready to bake, preheat your oven to 450 degrees with an oven safe dish on the bottom rack. 

Turn your mini dough balls over onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Score the tops of the loaves with large "X" shape going from one side of dough to the other. A deep score will ensure a nice oven spring while baking. 

Boil water on the stove in a kettle and pour it into the oven safe dish that's been in the oven preheating (I use my large cast iron skillet). Place the baking sheet with the bread onto the middle rack above the water. 

It's best to do this step quickly, so you can trap the steam from the boiling water inside the oven. 

Bake with the steam for 20 minutes. Remove the steam and bake for an additional 18 - 20 minutes, just depending on how brown you like the outside of your bread. 

Remove the bread and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely before serving!