Olive bread

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Mix 450 g bread flour, 50 g whole wheat flour and 350 g warm water in a large bowl until no dry flour remains, then cover and leave it alone for about twenty minutes. This rest lets the flour absorb the water and the gluten start forming on its own, so you knead less and the dough is still strong. The dough is right when it is noticeably softer and more supple and stretches when gently pulled.

   Suggested time: about 20 minutes.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Sprinkle 5 g instant yeast and 9 g salt over the dough, pour in 20 g olive oil and knead by hand or machine for about eight minutes. The salt goes in later so it doesn't interfere with the flour's initial absorption of water. The dough is right when it is smooth and elastic and stretches into an almost transparent membrane.

   Suggested time: about 8 minutes.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Drain 150 g pitted Kalamata olives, pat them dry and cut them in half, along with 4 g finely chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as rosemary, if using; stretch the dough into a rectangle, scatter the olives over it and fold the dough up like an envelope. Folding instead of kneading keeps the olives from breaking up and staining the dough purple. You are done when the olives are tucked inside and fairly evenly distributed.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise somewhere warm for about an hour and a half, stretching and folding the dough every half hour during the first part. The long rise lets the yeast develop flavor and builds the open crumb structure. The dough is right when it has nearly doubled, the top is rounded and puffy and large bubbles show against the sides of the bowl.

   Suggested time: about 90 minutes.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Turn the dough out onto the counter, fold the edges into the middle, then flip it over and use both hands to rotate and drag the dough toward you to form a tight, round ball. A taut surface helps the loaf rise tall instead of spreading out sideways. The ball is right when it is evenly round, the top is smooth and taut and the seam sits neatly underneath.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Set the dough on a sheet of parchment paper, cover with a towel and let it proof for about forty-five minutes more. The final proof lets the dough regain the gas it lost during shaping. The dough is right when a fingertip dent fills back in slowly but doesn't disappear completely.

   Suggested time: about 45 minutes.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   While the dough has its final proof, put a lidded cast-iron pot in the oven and preheat at 240 degrees C for about thirty minutes. The blazing hot pot gives the dough a burst of heat and traps its steam, so the bread springs up and the crust turns glossy and crisp. The pot is ready when the oven has held its temperature long enough and the lid is evenly hot too.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Score a cut about one centimeter deep across the top of the dough, lift it by the parchment into the pot, cover with the lid and bake at 240 degrees C for 20 minutes. Steam trapped in the pot keeps the crust soft so the bread can rise as much as possible. Move on when you lift the lid and see the bread has risen tall, the score has burst open wide and the crust is still pale.

   Bake at 240°C for about 20 to 20 minutes.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Remove the lid, lower the heat to 220 degrees C and bake for 18 to 22 minutes more, until the crust is dark and crisp. Baking uncovered lets moisture escape and the crust caramelize. The bread is done when the crust is deep brown, the bottom sounds hollow when tapped and a thermometer inserted in the center of the crumb reads about 96 degrees C.

   Bake at 220°C for about 18 to 22 minutes.

   Mark step 9 as done

10. Step 10

    Move the bread to a wire rack and let it cool for at least one hour before slicing. The crumb keeps setting as it cools, and cutting too early leaves it gummy and damp. The bread is ready when the bottom is completely cool and the crust crackles softly when squeezed gently.

    Suggested time: about 60 minutes.

    Mark step 10 as done