1 ts Active dry yeast
1 1/2 c Water — 105-115 degrees
1 1/4 c Basic bread sponge
3 1/4 c All-purpose flour —
Unbleached
1/3 c All-purpose flour — for
Kneading
4 ts Kosher salt
1/2 c Kalamata olives — pit &
Chop roughly
4 ts Fresh thyme — coarsely
Chopped
Can use any fleshy black olive in place of Kalamatas.
In a bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water. Allow to proof for three
minutes.
Stir the sponge into the water, breaking the sponge up using your
hands or a spoon.
Add 3 1/4 cups of the flour and salt and mix, scraping and folding
until the dough gathers into a single mass. Mix in the olives and
thyme until distributed. This dough will be wet and sticky.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead as much
of the 1/3 cup of flour as is required to make a smooth and elastic
dough.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and
refrigerate overnight.
Halve the dough and shape each piece into a ball and place in an
oiled bowl and cover with plastic. Allow to rise in a draft-free
location for two hours.
Turn out each piece of the dough onto a lightly floured work surface
and press out any large bubbles. Shape each half into a loose oval.
Transfer each of the ovals into a 9×5 loaf pan, with the seam on the
bottom. Cover again with plastic and allow to double in bulk, which
should take 2 to 2
1/2 hours.
Preheat the oven for at least thirty minutes along with a baking
stone or tiles on the middle rack to 425. Place a baking pan with
decent sides on the bottom shelf. Boil two cups of water. Place the
loaf pans on the stones and then immediately pour the boiling water
into the baking pan.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until the loaves are hollow sounding when
removed from the pans and tapped on the bottom. Take the loaves out
of the pans and cool on a rack.
Yields
1 Servings