Olive & Thyme Bread

[kirra]

Olive & Thyme Bread

I baked this bread and and it was lovely! It's actually a stuffed loaf and you will love it. Served with a toasted garlic/olive oil dipping bowl with salt & pepper and warm from the oven, this bread will please the crowds. --kirra

Ingredients:

Bread Dough:

2/3 cup sourdough starter
2/3 cup room temperature water
1 1/2 cups Organic Artisan all-purpose flour, or whatever you have
1/8 teaspoon yeast (active dry)
3 tablespoon (28 grams) whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon (5 grams) sea salt

Filling:

1 cup black olives
2 teaspoons fresh thyme striped from stems

Preparation:

Mix together the water and starter. It will be just a soupy mess. Add the yeast to the mix and let it bloom in a warm spot.

Whisk together the flours and salt.

Mix the soupy mix with the dry and as it comes together in a ball, turn it out onto the counter and knead until pliable and smooth.

Cover and allow to rise about 3 hours until about doubled in volume.

Turn out onto a lightly floured counter. Gently deflate the dough. The aim here is to form the dough into a rectangle some 16 inches long. Using you knuckles works very well.

Sprinkle the olives (I used more than one cup) and the thyme down the center of the dough. Fold the long sides to meet in the middle. Gently roll the dough to lengthen it to about 2 feet.

Place onto parchment paper. Bring ends together to form a ring and pinch to seal. Cover. I used the largest stainless steel mixing bowl in the house which is pretty darn big. Suggestion, oil the sides of the bowl, don't find out the hard way like I did that the dough will grow more than you think and will stick like the dickens to that darn bowl you thought was so stinking big. Allow to rise about 2 hours or until just about doubled in size. I put this on a pizza stone and it worked perfectly for baking. You can also use a baking sheet.

Preheat the oven to maximum temperature. I set mine for 450°F (230°C). I put a large pyrex casserole dish on the lower shelf and filled it with boiling water.

Slash the ring with a very sharp knife, I used scissors, which by the way isn't a knife, but then y'all know I'm a rebel.. This is perfect for 4 to 6 people since the recipe only makes one ring. You might want to double this recipe because if you have the bowls and the counter space because it is very good. --kirra.



Classic Sourdough Starter

Sourdough starter keeps indefinitely, and its flavor improves with age.

Ingredients:

2 cups lukewarm water (90° to 100°F)
1/3 cup plain yogurt
2 cups unbleached bread flour
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder or 1/4 cup dry buttermilk powder

Preparation:

In a bowl, whisk together the water and yogurt. Add the flour and dry milk powder and beat until well blended and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a 1-quart glass jar, ceramic crock or plastic container. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a double thickness of cheesecloth and let stand at room temperature for 48 hours, stirring the mixture with a whisk twice each day. It will be bubbly, with a fresh sour smell and the consistency of pancake batter. A clear or pale yellow liquid will form on the top; just stir it back in. If the liquid is any other color (such as pink or green), discard the starter and make a new batch. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

To use the starter, measure out the amount called for in a recipe and let stand at room temperature until it starts to bubble, about 1 hour. To feed the remaining starter, add 1 cup flour and 1 cup water, stir to incorporate, and let stand at room temperature for 24 to 48 hours to begin fermenting again. Store in the refrigerator, covered loosely. Makes 3 cups.