Crusty Mediterranean Olive Bread

Crusty Mediterranean Olive Bread

Chewey Olive Bread perfect For Charcuterie

Ingredients:

3 1/4 cups bread flour plus extra for dusting your work surface
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 3/4 cups mixed olives pitted and roughly chopped
1 tbsp olive oil to coat the resting bowl
Cornmeal for dusting

Directions:

Lay a clean kitchen towel on a cookie tray and dust liberally with corn meal. Set aside with another towel beside it. You will also need a large dutch oven or heavy ceramic pot with a lid.

Combine the flour, yeast and salt together in a stand mixer with a dough hook.

Add the warm water and gently mix together  until the dough starts to come together.

Add the chopped olives and mix until well combined.

Take the dough out of the bowl and knead very gently into a ball shape.

Coat a large bowl with the olive oil and return the dough into the center of it.

Cover with a clean towel and Let it sit until it doubles in size.

Once it has risen, take it out of the bowl and lay it on your table. Roughly press the dough into a flat circle.

Fold the dough over on itself kneading it back into a ball.

Lay the dough onto the cornmeal dusted towel, seam side down.

Dust the top of the dough with some extra cornmeal and cover with the towel again.

Let rest until it's almost doubled in size again.

Watch it closely and when you see that it's almost ready, preheat your oven to 450 degrees F and place the empty pot into it.

When the oven has reached it's temperature, take off the top towel and using a sharp serrated knife, cut two slits across the top of the dough.

Take the pot out of the oven and very carefully lift and drop the bread into the pot.

Place the lid on and put it back into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, take the lid from the pot and bake for a further 20-30 minutes and the crust is golden and crispy.

Let cool before slicing.

Notes

Rising times may vary due to environment and temperature of the surroundings. Heat will speed up the process so small warm areas are great for letting the bread rise. Prep time above includes all resting times. Adapted from Jim Lahey, http://www.sullivanstreetbakery.com/home