This rustic bread is worth the extra effort to make. The kalamata olives add enough flavor to enhance the loaf without masking the overall taste of the bread.
Cuisine : Mediterranean Course : Appetizer Skill Level : Novice
Prep : 90 mins Cook : 45 mins Ready in : 135 mins Serves : 8
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 loaf of Bread
- 3 tbsp of Naturel Pure Olive Oil
- 3 cups of Bread Flour
- 2 tsp of Active Dry Yeast
- 2 tsp of White Sugar
- ½ tsp of Salt
- ½ cup of Chopped Kalamata (black olives)
- 1¼ cups of Warm Water (45°C)
- 1 tbsp of Cornmeal
DIRECTIONS:
- In a large bowl, mix together warm water and yeast. Then add sifted flour, sugar, salt and black olives. Mix them well.
- Sprinkle flour on the kneaded board. Place dough onto a floured board, knead dough until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes. Put the dough into a bowl and cover with a damp kitchen towel to prevent the surface from drying. Set aside, and let rise for about 45 minutes, until it doubles in size.
- Round the dough on a kneading board. Place upside down in a bowl lined with a lint-free cloth. Let rise until it doubles in size.
- While the bread is rising for the third time, put a pan of water inside the oven. Preheat the oven to 260°C.
- Gently turn the loaf out onto a sheet pan that has been lightly oiled with Naturel Pure Olive Oil and dusted with cornmeal.
- Bake the loaf at 260°C for 15 minutes. Remove the water. Reduce heat to 190°C. Bake for another 30 minutes more, or until done.
- Tip: You can replace Kalamata olives with minced garlic, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, sun dried tomatoes or Cheddar cheese