Ever since I started baking bread, people have been asking me if I’ve made an olive loaf, and up until this point the answer was a flat no. In fact I had never even tasted it before, and I was OK with that. But after hearing repeatedly how good olive bread is, and that I didn’t know what I was missing, I finally went for it. I must say it was absolutely phenomenal, so to all those who were like me, you don’t know what you’re missing!
Olive Rosemary Boule
- 1 lb (about 3.5 cups) white unbleached bread flour
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1.5 cups water
- 1 cup chopped olives (I used Kalamata)
- 3 Tbsp dried rosemary
Method:
Mix all the dry ingredients together, then add the water and mix until all the flour is incorporated. Let the dough ball rise for 2-3 hours in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Turn out the dough on the counter and add the olives and rosemary and mix it all together, kneading it until the olives and rosemary are well distributed in the dough.
Shape the dough into a boule (with cupped hands, shape it into a round, while pulling the surface tight and tucking the dough underneath the ball).
Let it rise covered with oiled plastic wrap for another hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 with the pizza stone in it. Once the dough has risen slash the top of the boule with a lame or sharp knife, sprinkle the pizza stone with cornmeal, and bake the dough on the pizza stone at 450 degrees for 45 minutes. To help the crust, I put a cast iron pan on the lower rack with a few ice cubes in it. If the crust starts browning too quickly, you can cover the boule with a tin foil tent.
(sprinkle the cornmeal sparingly, we put a little too much and our smoke alarm was going crazy!)
The bread came out fluffy and chewey, very rustic, with a nicely browned crust. Toasted with butter, or as a sandwich bread, this is a real winner.
Similar Posts:
Printer Friendly Version
© 2008-2010 Sustainable Pantry
Olive Lovers Rejoice: Rosemary Olive Bread
Ever since I started baking bread, people have been asking me if I’ve made an olive loaf, and up until this point the answer was a flat no. In fact I had never even tasted it before, and I was OK with that. But after hearing repeatedly how good olive bread is, and that I didn’t know what I was missing, I finally went for it. I must say it was absolutely phenomenal, so to all those who were like me, you don’t know what you’re missing!
Olive Rosemary Boule
Method:
Mix all the dry ingredients together, then add the water and mix until all the flour is incorporated. Let the dough ball rise for 2-3 hours in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Turn out the dough on the counter and add the olives and rosemary and mix it all together, kneading it until the olives and rosemary are well distributed in the dough.
Shape the dough into a boule (with cupped hands, shape it into a round, while pulling the surface tight and tucking the dough underneath the ball).
Let it rise covered with oiled plastic wrap for another hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 with the pizza stone in it. Once the dough has risen slash the top of the boule with a lame or sharp knife, sprinkle the pizza stone with cornmeal, and bake the dough on the pizza stone at 450 degrees for 45 minutes. To help the crust, I put a cast iron pan on the lower rack with a few ice cubes in it. If the crust starts browning too quickly, you can cover the boule with a tin foil tent.
(sprinkle the cornmeal sparingly, we put a little too much and our smoke alarm was going crazy!)
The bread came out fluffy and chewey, very rustic, with a nicely browned crust. Toasted with butter, or as a sandwich bread, this is a real winner.
Similar Posts: