Olive Bread

This recipe has become a favourite in my house. It's really versatile. You can flavour it any way you want. Try your favourite pizza toppings. The process is a bit lengthy but picture the main stages:

1. Make the Starter
2. Mix the Starter with all ingredients for the Dough
3. Add the olives
4. Bake

With some mixing action and patience, you're on the way to fabulous bread. So let's start.

Starter:
Look forward to making the Starter. Imagine a bowl of rich bubbliness... There's no better homemade feeling than this. Mix all ingredients with a fork and let rise until doubled in size.

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup warm water
• 3/4 tsp yeast (I use traditional)

To test the temperature of the water, place a finger in the water. You should be able to leave it in at least 30 secs. Otherwise, it's probably too hot.

Dough:
Life will be so much easier if you use a stand mixer. In your mixer bowl, add the following ingredients in this order.

• All of the Starter
• 2 cups warm water + 2 tsp yeast + 1 tbsp honey (Whisk gently to dissolve)
• 4 cups bread flour
• 2 3/4 tsp salt

Using a wooden spoon, stir to get all the ingredients roughly. This will prevent chances that you'll get flour all over your counter. Then, with the dough hook on, switch the machine on for 5 min. Let rest for 15 min.

Start the machine again for about 7 min. If needed, increase the speed and allow the dough to flap against the sides of the bowl and get more elastic.

Hope you're enjoying the recipe so far. At this point your dough looks really sticky, elastic and quite runny. It's time to add the olives.

Olives:
Feel free to experiment with your favourite toppings for this bread. I use a combination of herbs and olives. Last time I made this bread, I also put in a few slivers chunks of garlic. Every time my husband got some garlic, he happily referred to them as surprises : )

• 2 tbsp rosemary + oregano
• 1 1/2 cup cut olives (I use a mixture of kalamata, sundried black olives and green olives)
• A few small slivers of garlic

Add the above to your mixer bowl. Give it a few more swirls in the machine. Switch it off and transfer to a bigger bowl. Let the dough rise for an hour or so until doubled.

Baking:
Here we go, final steps!

1. Pre-heat oven at 400 F
2. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper
3. Transfer the dough into sheet pans (It's a bit tricky but do it with confidence, you can do it!)
4. Let rise for 45 min (Do not skip this step as your dough won't rise as much as you expect it to)
5. Bake for about 40 min. Check it half way through the cooking and turn the pan.

Smell the goodness? : ) Enjoy!