I am by no means a professional bread maker however over the las two years I have spent a lot of time playing with sourdough and have gotten pretty good at it. One of my families favourites is the Smoked Olive Sourdough. I actually have to guard it while it cools or they would rip into it right out of the oven. Needless to say it does not even last an hour after the first cut.
You will need the basic sourdough ingredients including bread flour, water and a sourdough starter along with the start players: Smoked Castelvetrano olives and Smoked Sundried Kalamata olives. Their smoky essence takes this bread over the top!
See how long it lasts in your house!
Ingredients
- For the Dough:
- 500g bread flour
- 350g water (room temperature)
- 100g active sourdough starter
- 10g sea salt
- 150g Fume-eh smoked pitted Castelvetrano olives, sliced
- 100g Fume-eh smoked sundried Kalamata olives, pitted then sliced
Instructions
1. Mix the Dough:
- In a large bowl, combine the starter and water. Add in the flour and mix until there are no dry bits of flour. Cover and let it rest for about 30-60 minutes (this is called autolyse).
2. Add Salt:
- After the autolyse, add the sea salt to the dough with 10-20ml of water to help mix it into the dough. Use your hands to mix, squeezing, folding and pinching the dough until it is well incorporated.
3. Add the Olives:
- Gently fold in the smoked Castelvetrano and Kalamata olives. Be careful not to crush the olives too much; you want them to be evenly distributed throughout the dough so just keep folding.
4. Bulk Fermentation:
- Cover the bowl with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature for about 4-5 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size. During the first couple of hours, perform stretch and folds every 30 minutes to strengthen the dough.
5. Pre-shape the Dough:
- Once the dough has risen, gently turn it out onto a floured surface. Pre-shape it into a round loaf and let it rest for about 20-30 minutes.
6. Final Shape:
- After resting, shape your dough into a tight round or oval loaf, depending on your preference. Place it seam-side up in a well-floured (I prefer rice flour if you have it) banneton or bowl lined with a floured cloth.
7. Proofing:
- Cover it and let it proof for about 2-3 hours at room temperature, or in the fridge overnight for a more developed flavor (worth the wait!).
8. Preheat the Oven:
- If you're proofing in the fridge, take the dough out and preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) about 30 minutes before you're ready to bake. Put your Dutch oven in and preheat as well.
9. Bake the Bread:
- When the oven is hot, carefully turn your dough out onto a parchment sheet and score the top with a sharp knife or razor blade.
- Remove Dutch oven and carefully from the oven and place the loaf with parchment into it and replace lid.
- Place in the oven and lower temperature to 425F, bake for 20 minutes and then remove the lid. Continue baking for 20min or until the crust is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches about 200°F (93°C).
10. Cool the Bread:
- Allow the bread to cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing to let the crumb set.
Enjoy!
Serve it plain, with olive oil, or as a sandwich base to highlights its smoky and rich flavors. Happy baking!