Had to try my hand at making freshly baked olive bread to have it with Hummus, Moutabel and Tabouleh.
| TO BEGIN Sponge method (point 1 &2) Time - 20 minutes. RISING 1 1/2 hours (point 6) PROVING 45 minutes (point 11) OVEN TEMPERATURE 200 deg C / 400 deg F / gas 6 BAKING 25 - 30 minutes YIELD 4 loaves YEAST ALTERNATIVE 15gms / 1/2 oz fresh yeast |
Sprinkle the yeast in 100 ml of warm water in a bowl.
Stir well and leave for 5 minutes to froth.
Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the yeasted water.
Add the olive oil at this point.
Cover the bowl with a tea towel, then leave to ''sponge'' until frothy and risen, about 20 minutes.
Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes so that it will be easier to roll.
Put the chopped olives on this, fold into half, and knead for about 5 minutes till the olives are well distributed.
Start kneading the dough like a regular dough.
If the dough is a little too moist, use as much dry flour as needed to get it back to its consistency.
Knock back (press in the centre of the dough, to remove all the air from it), and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
Roll out the dough using a little flour and a rolling pin.
Transfer the dough onto greased baking sheets.
With a sharp knife, make 4-5 slashes horizontally in the centre through each piece of dough, leaving about 1'' on both the edges of the dough. Open up each slash by gently pulling the edges apart.
Cover a tea towel and prove the dough, until expanded and slightly puffy, about 45 minutes.
Bake in a pre-heated oven for 25-30 minutes, until crisp, golden and hollow sounding when tapped underneath.
Cool on a wire rack.