This is a great bread for beginners; hearty & rustic, yet packed with flavor and it makes a great presentation.  While I do recommend making it in a mixer using the dough hook attachment, it is totally possible (though a bit tiresome) to make it by hand.  I like to use unbleached All-Purpose flour for this bread and it's the cook's choice whether you want to chop the olives and mix into the dough, or arrange them on top in a pretty design.  This recipe can also be made with different garnishes, for example, use lemon zest and sundried tomatoes for my Escargots 'en croute' recipe.

Difficulty:

Prep Time:  20 minutes    (Resting Time: 2+ hours)

Cook Time:  15 minutes

Yields two 12” loaves

Ingredients:

2 tsp.             Dry Active Yeast

1 tsp.             Sugar

1 ½ c.            hot water (120˚F)

2 Tbsp.          EVO

3 ½ c.            Unbleached AP Flour (540g)

2 ½ tsp.         Sea Salt

¼ tsp.            White Pepper

2 Tbsp.          Fresh Rosemary, chopped

½ c.               Niçoise and Picholine Olives, chopped & well-drained

1 ea.               Egg Yolk

2 Tbsp.          Milk

Technique:

•In an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, or a large metal bowl and a small whisk, combine yeast, sugar, and hot water.  Let stand 5 minutes.

•Add EVO, salt and white pepper.   Slowly add flour on lowest speed until a ball forms.

•Add rosemary and turn up to medium-low, working dough for another 3 minutes.  Make sure olives are well drained (use a paper towel), add to dough and mix 2 additional minutes.

1. •Transfer dough ball to a clean, flour dusted bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. 
   

2. •Punch down once it has doubled or tripled in size, re-cover and continue to rest.
   

•Dust a clean surface with flour, cut your dough ball in half, and roll out to ¾” thick, approximately 12” long, 6” wide.

•Move to a foil or parchment lined oiled baking sheet and rest for 10 minutes.