Olive and Rosemary Bread

Hello readers! few weeks days ago I posted 4 different recipes of how to make No-knead crusty artisan dutch oven bread. One of my favorite recipes among those 4 recipes is the "Olive and rosemary bread". I made the dough last night and I left it to grow over night in the dutch oven. Early this morning I found it raised well and was ready to be baked. 

I baked it for 40 mints and we had an amazing freshly baked bread for breakfast. The rosemary smell was all over the house.. hmmm fresh bread smell is one of the simple pleasures I adore.

Here I took these photos of the dough preparation and baking process.. and I hope you get inspired to make your own this weekend. Recipe is below:  

Ingredients

3 cups plain flour

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon of dry yeast (heaped spoon)

1 1/2 cups warm water (luke-warm)

1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped coarsely

1 sprig of dried rosemary (I dry my sprigs on a window sill, otherwise use a heaped tablespoon of store bought dried rosemary)

Sea salt flakes

Method 

Sift the flour in a large bowl (either glass or metal, one that can sit in a warmish oven).  Add the salt and yeast and mix well.  Slowly add the warm water, mixing with a spoon as you go.  When the dough is sticky but well mixed you might now need all the water), cover with plastic wrap and place in a warmed oven for 3 hours (you can leave for up to 6 hours or overnight). 

When the dough have risen to double the size, remove from the oven.  Turn the on the oven to 230°C and place the Dutch oven with lid on in the oven.  If you have a pizza stone, place this in first then the Dutch oven on top - this will stop the base from getting too hot. 

Add the olives and most of the rosemary to the dough and mix through with your hands.  Dust a clean surface with flour, then place the dough on top and form it into a nice round loaf shape.  Cover with plastic wrap and leave for 30 minutes while the oven heats up.

After 30 minutes, carefully remove the pot from the oven, remove the lid, and place the dough in the centre.   Sprinkle over the remaining rosemary and a good pinch or two of the sea salt flakes.  Place the lid back on and return the pot to the oven.  Bake for 30 minutes, then carefully remove the lid and allow to cook for a further 15 minutes.  This will brown the top of the loaf.

To test if its cooked through, either tap and listen for a hollow sound, or use a thermometer to check - it should be at around 85/90°C.

Allow to cool before eating.

***Note - I let it rise overnight in the fridge, covered in plastic wrap - works really well!  So if you're in a rush, allow it to rise in a warm area (like an oven), but if you've got time, I highly recommend leaving it to rise for at least 12 hours (24 or more is even better!).

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