Rustic Italian Loaf with olives, sun dried tomatoes and pine nuts
This chewy, rustic Italian bread made with a sour dough starter complements just about any meal! It’s perfect with a salad, pasta or soup. Toast it with butter and add some cheese to make a great breakfast with your coffee.
Knead in cheese, nuts or a few favorite herbs to create your favorite flavor. Dip it into a fine olive oil or hollow it out and add salad and dressing for an amazing lunch for company (or treat for yourself!) Buon appetito!
Recipe is below.
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Rustic Italian Bread with olives, sun dried tomatoes and pine nuts
Yield 1 large loaf or 2 small loaves
1 1/2 cups sour dough starter
1/2 cup warm water
1 package or 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rye flour
1 1/2 to 2 cups bread flour or unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives drained well and dried
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crumbled
1 teaspoon kosher salt
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Make sour dough. (see recipe below)
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Add dry yeast to water and let proof. (Allow to sit for 3-4 minutes and if bubbles, the yeast is active.)
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Add sour dough starter, olive oil, salt and whole wheat and rye flours. Mix together. Add enough of the bread flour until the dough comes away from the bowl. Turn out onto a clean floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour if dough is sticky.
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Knead in sun dried tomatoes, pine nuts and dried rosemary until add ins are evenly distributed.
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Place a tablespoon or so of olive oil in a large bowl. Add dough and turn to coat. Cover dough with a clean cloth or plastic wrap and place in a draft free spot. Allow to rise until doubled.
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Punch down dough and shape into a round loaf. Score the loaf with a sharp knife. Allow to rise again until loaf is puffy, not quite doubled in size. Brush loaves with olive oil, dried rosemary and kosher salt.
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Place one or two small oven proof dishes on the bottom of the oven. Fill with water. Bake in a preheated 425 F oven about 30-35 minutes or until the bottom of the loaf sound hollow when tapped with your fingers.
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Let cool on a wire rack.
Sough Dough Starter
Step 1
1 cup warm water
1 1/2 cups flour
Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours and up to 72 hours.
Step 2
1/2 cup warm water
1 1/4 cups flour
All of Starter
1/4 cup rye flour
In a large bowl, combine and mix the first 3 ingredients in Step 2. Sprinkle the rye flour over the surface. Cover and let stand in room temperature until double in size, about 4-6 hours. The starter is ready to mix with the recipe at this point.
(The starter is adapted from Secrets of a Jewish Baker.)
Expandthetable suggestions
Cheesy: Add 1 cup chopped cheddar or Swiss cheese
Green or Black Olives: Replace kalamata olives with green and/or black olives, chopped
Olive and Herb Bread: Add 1 teaspoon each dried thyme, oregano and rosemary
Nutty Olive Bread: Add 1 cup chopped, toasted walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds instead of piñoli
#bread, #Italian, #sourdough
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