Making bread is easy and relaxing. The transformation from raw flour or misshapen lump of dough to something that smells and tastes best straight from the oven is very rewarding. Here is a very basic dough that's allowed to raise without butter or oil. It is adaptable enough to produce pizza or in this case olive bread. Make the basic dough and allow it to rise for six hours (my kitchen is well-ventilated about 80F), longer if you have a cooler kitchen. This recipe (variation on the No-Knead Pizza Dough, Bon Appetit, March 2012) makes three loaves of olive bread; or two loaves and some left over for two personal pizzas (see previous post on Pizza). You can adjust the recipe to make more or less bread, or bread with more or less whole wheat flour.
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| Black olives and olive oil - a crusty olive bread! |
Flour, approx four to five cups white, one to two cups whole wheat (6 cups flour in all, and extra to dust dough as it rises)
Salt, teaspoon
Dried powdered yeast, teaspoon
Water, 2 to 3 cups
Black olives, as much or as little as you wish
Olive oil, three tablespoons
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Use a paddle or large spatula to moisten with water. Mix until just combined. Dough should be soft and sticky, not hard or tight. Shape a rough lump in the bowl and dust lightly with flour. Cover with a tea cloth, and allow to raise for most of the day, six hours or so.
Use the paddle to turn over the dough dusting lightly with flour, just enough to keep it from sticking to the bowl. Cover and leave for another hour or so.
Salt, teaspoon
Dried powdered yeast, teaspoon
Water, 2 to 3 cups
Black olives, as much or as little as you wish
Olive oil, three tablespoons
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Use a paddle or large spatula to moisten with water. Mix until just combined. Dough should be soft and sticky, not hard or tight. Shape a rough lump in the bowl and dust lightly with flour. Cover with a tea cloth, and allow to raise for most of the day, six hours or so.
Use the paddle to turn over the dough dusting lightly with flour, just enough to keep it from sticking to the bowl. Cover and leave for another hour or so.
Drain a can of black olives, and chop each olive in small pieces. (Use a six-ounce can, drain liquid well. You don't want to add any more liquid to the dough.) Use your hands to mix chopped olives in to dough, dusting lightly with flour, just enough to keep it from sticking to your hands or the bowl.
Cut into three even parts and roll into three rounds or loaves. You can shape your loaves into rounds for flat pans, or loaves for loaf pans. Grease each pan with olive oil, generous enough to allow you to roll the dough over in the pan, so there is olive oil all over the loaf. Set aside for an hour to raise.
Heat oven to 350F and bake for 40-50 minutes. Top will be light brown and crusty.
Break apart or slice.
Cut into three even parts and roll into three rounds or loaves. You can shape your loaves into rounds for flat pans, or loaves for loaf pans. Grease each pan with olive oil, generous enough to allow you to roll the dough over in the pan, so there is olive oil all over the loaf. Set aside for an hour to raise.
Heat oven to 350F and bake for 40-50 minutes. Top will be light brown and crusty.
Break apart or slice.
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| Freshly baked olive bread with ham, mozzarella, and a fresh tomato salad. |
I love olive bread!!...oh yes these homemade bread are great to make,...and you can also add seeds,....sunflower and sesame,raisins, dried fruit....
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