Bread
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That’s a gorgeous loaf. I really like the wax paper lining in the bowl, also. Quite dapper indeed. I make a mess.
Would you mind sharing your recipe?
My wife does not like Olives so I am getting the start of tomorrow’s baking sorted. My variant on Greek Olive bread. Kalamata Olives and Sun Dried Tomatoes. A regular size loaf for the rest of us to enjoy. I am using left overs I have on hand so I am deviating a bit from the regular Olive Bread recipe. If you want to enrichen the bread add feta cheese and one egg.
GreenDragon
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I like to make an Italian focaccia bread. Lots of olive oil in the dough. After it rises the first time I roll it out into a rectangle, place a layer of fresh basil leaves down on one half, add cheese (feta, parmesan, or mozzarella are good), fold over to make two layers, then place in an oiled sheet pan. Dimple the top with your fingers, sprinkle kosher salt, pepper, and rosemary over the top, then drizzle with olive oil. Let rise again and bake. Delicious!
That’s a gorgeous loaf. I really like the wax paper lining in the bowl, also. Quite dapper indeed. I make a mess.
Would you mind sharing your recipe?
Paper is Parchment Paper, don’t use wax paper!
I don’t think anyone will believe me. All I use is flour, salt, instant yeast and water. I use bread flour which is gives the crumb more of a chew but you can 100% use all purpose flour and make a loaf ten times tastier than anything in the store.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups (360-390g [12 3/4 ounces]) bread flour or all purpose flour. If you don’t weigh but use a USA cup (250ml) to scoop out three cups of flour aerate the flour first because it settles densely when left sitting.
- 1/4 teaspoon instant or RapidRise yeast (1 packet/7 g). If you don’t want to bake the next day (longer slower rise for the extra flavor and blistering) but instead you are in a hurry and want to bake after only 2 hours or less of rising time then bump the amount of yeast up to 2 teaspoons.
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups water or if you want to rush this rise in about 2 hours use hot water (up to 130° F)
- (about 2 Tablespoons extra flour for shaping)
Method:
- Combine flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Stir in water slowly until it’s well combined. As you stir it will start to look like dry rags in the bowl, don’t stop keep stirring and it will then transform into a sticky looking dough. Stop stirring.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature. Time will depend upon how warm your house is. I usually make it in the afternoon and bake it the next day in the afternoon on time for dinner. But the dough is forgiving you can let it sit if you don’t have the time handy and it will develop more flavor.
- After hours of sitting to overnight the dough will become puffy and dotted with bubbles. Transfer it to a well-floured surface and sprinkle dough with a little flour on top. Using a scraper fold dough over 10-12 times & shape into a rough ball.
- Place in a parchment paper-lined bowl (not wax paper) and cover with a towel. Again if I am going to wait longer for the second rise I may reuse the plastic wrap in lieu of the towel. Or if using a towel I may place a couple plastic tote lid cutouts on top of the towel to retain moisture longer in the bowl. I usually wait a few hours but again just look at the dough and if it’s risen up and rounded over and looks good then get ready to bake.
- Place a Dutch oven with lid or similar sized baking container with a lid in a cold oven and preheat to 450° F. It is a big mistake to start baking when the oven reaches the set temperature. Allow sufficient time for the Dutch oven itself to come up to the same temperature the oven is set to. My wait time after my oven reaches the set temperature is 30 minutes after my oven reaches 450°. (My Dutch oven is 5 to 5 1/2 quart size)
- When the Dutch oven reaches 450° carefully, using oven gloves if you need protection, lift the parchment paper and dough from the bowl and place gently into the hot pot. (parchment paper goes in the pot too) Cover and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. You will get a feel for your oven eventually and have the time that works for you.
- After 30 minutes, remove the Dutch oven from your oven and remove the lid and parchment paper from the bread loaf. Return the bread loaf uncovered back into the Dutch oven but this time do not put the lid on the Dutch oven, return the lidless Dutch oven to your kitchen oven and bake 10 - 15 more minutes. You can go up to another 30 minutes if you need, again you will get a feel for your oven and how brown you like your crust.
- Let it cool at least 15 minutes before slicing. If you can do not slice it until it has cooled for even longer than 15 minutes. The bread loaf is still cooking internally from steam while on the cooling rack and premature slicing can let the heat escape from your bread loaf. I wait until my loaf is barely warm.
- Crust will be very crunchy out of the oven, try to control yourself even though it tastes better than anything in the store as you could cut your mouth up if you don’t go slow If you want a tasty but less hard crust you can put the loaf in the Dutch oven with lid and leave it sit on your kitchen counter until the next day.
Got up this morning and cut some super loaf for toast. This single slice got cut in half to fit the toaster and is plenty for me.
The first rise on the Greek Olive bread.
I follow my Grandmother’s saying after a lifetime of baking bread, “the less I do to the bread dough the better my bread turns out”.
The first rise on the Greek Olive bread.
I follow my Grandmother’s saying after a lifetime of baking bread, “the less I do to the bread dough the better my bread turns out”.
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