A Bread A Day

Week Eighteen: 100% Whole Grain Bread

I cannot say enough good things about this bread.  Can you believe those holes?  From a 100% whole wheat bread?  Awesome!  And the flavor!  So complex, and chewy to boot!  It’s just incredible - I’ve never made a whole grain bread like this one.

So what’s the secret, you ask?  Pre-moistening.  Or soaking, or delayed fermentation, whatever you want to call it.  This technique is discussed in depth in Peter Reinhart’s book, Whole Grain Breads.  It sounds very technical - and what is accomplished by using these methods in fact is very technical - but in all honesty, it couldn’t be simpler to accomplish.  Can you stir flour and water together?  Then you can manage this with no problem.

This recipe makes use of what is called a “biga”, or a thick, relatively dry starter.  This isn’t very unusual in breadmaking; I’ve featured a few breads that use a biga, or something similar.  Nor is the “soaking mixture” in this recipe unusual; it’s basically a long autolyse, which has also been featured in a recipe or two on this site.  But what is unusual is that the flour used in the biga and the soaking mixture comprise nearly all of the flour in the dough.

Generally, starters make up a large percentage of the total amount of dough, but it stays at just that: a percentage.  I don’t know that I’ve ever seen another bread recipe (in my humble experience) that uses pre-ferments in such a high percentage.  (Note: I’m leaving the ubiquitous No-Knead Bread and similar recipes out of this, since the entirety of the dough is mixed, then fermented at length; as opposed to parts of the dough being fermented, then mixed together.)

Technically speaking, the long fermentation of the two pre-ferments allows various acids and enzymes to begin developing, all of which contribute to improved texture and much better flavor.  During this time, the gluten also begins to form, slowly enough that the bran doesn’t have an opportunity to cut it, nor does the germ get in the way of the formation.  The remaining handful of flour mixed in at the end is mainly there to equalize the hydration level of the final dough, as well as to provide a vehicle for the salt, yeast, and sugar to more easily incorporate into the two starters.  But enough with the tech-speak; how does it turn out?

While mixing the dough, I couldn’t stop from expressing my glee at how gluteny the dough was.  I’ve gotten less pretty gluten in many white breads!  It was amazing!  And unlike many whole grain doughs, it felt soft and smooth under my hands.  It baked into a gorgeous loaf, perfect for toasting and slathering with butter and cinnamon.  The flavor of rye deepened the taste of the whole wheat, and the flaxseed added a welcome nuttiness.  The crust was hard at first, then softened a little upon standing, and would not be too hard at all for a sandwich.  And did you see those holes?  I know it’s no ciabatta; but I was dead pleased with myself for this one. 

(And again, please don’t refrigerate bread like this!  It’ll just destroy it.  Eat it in a couple of days - this one should last at least two or three at room temperature, from all the excellent and long fermentation - or else freeze it.  Enjoy!)

100% Whole Wheat and Rye Flaxseed Bread
Adapted from Peter Reinhart
Makes one 9×5 loaf

For the biga:
8 ounces (about 1 3/4 cups) whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
3/4 cup water, at room temperature

For the soaking mixture:
6 1/2 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) whole wheat flour
1 ounce (1/4 cup) rye flour
2 tablespoons flaxseeds (or other seeds suitable for sprouting)
1 teaspoon salt
7 ounces (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) water

For the dough:
2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (1 packet)
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Unsalted butter, for finishing

1.  Make the biga: in a medium bowl, mix the ingredients together until a shaggy dough is formed.  Turn the biga out onto a work surface, and knead for about 2 minutes, or until the dough is smooth.  Transfer the biga to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 3 days.

2.  Make the soaking mixture: stir all ingredients together until smooth.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours.

3.  Make the dough: remove the biga from the refrigerator and let sit, covered, at room temperature for about 2 hours before mixing the final dough.

4.  Divide the biga and the soaking mixture each into 10 or 12 pieces.  Combine the pieces in the bowl of a stand mixer, along with the other remaining ingredients.  Using the dough hook, mix at low speed until the dough comes together, and all the ingredients are evenly incorporated, about 4 to 5 minutes.  Increase the speed to medium-low, and knead for another 4 to 5 minutes, or until the dough clears the sides of the bowl and forms a cohesive ball.

5.  Without removing the bowl or the dough hook from the mixer, cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap, and let rest for 5 minutes.

6.  Remove the plastic wrap, and knead at medium-low speed for 1 minute more, to develop the gluten further.

7.  Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until 1 1/2 times bigger in size, about 45 to 60 minutes.

8.  Lightly oil a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured surface.  Press and roll the dough into a loaf shape, deflating it a little, and pressing on the seam to seal.  Tucking the ends under, transfer the dough carefully to the prepared pan.  Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature for 45 to 60 minutes, or until 1 1/2 times bigger in size.  Preheat the oven to 425º F.

9.  If the dough has risen over the edge of the pan (it should have), quickly slash the top with a sharp serrated knife.  Lower the oven temperature to 350º F.  Bake at 350º F for 20 minutes.  Rotate the pan if necessary to avoid over-browning on one side, and bake another 20 to 30 minutes, or until baked through (an instant-read thermometer should register 195º F.

10.  Remove the bread from the pan.  Rub or brush the top of the loaf with the unsalted butter.  Place on a rack to cool thoroughly before slicing, about 1 hour.  Store leftovers at room temperature for up to 2 days; otherwise, wrap tightly and freeze.

Notes:
1.  I was able to find a blend of seeds specifically for sprouting in the bulk spice section of my local Whole Foods, so I used that.  But if you only find flaxseed, that’s just as good too.

2.  You can use whatever grain flour you like in place of the rye flour (including plain wheat, oat, or rice bran).  I opted for rye because I like the depth of flavor it gives a wheat bread.

3.  When shaping the dough in step 8, try to use as little flour as possible.  The more you add, the tougher and denser the bread will turn out.  The fairly loose dough may stick, but I say it’s better to clean your counter and hands than give up excellent texture!  A bench scraper will go a long way towards helping you move and shape such a slack dough.

Week Eighteen: 100% Whole Grain Breads

Just so you know, it’s not easy finding recipes for 100% whole grain bread, let alone good recipes.  See, it’s not just a matter of switching whole wheat flour for white flour in your favorite recipe.  If you’ve ever tried that, I know how disappointed you were!  Your bread ended up flat, heavy, and dry, with a sawdusty texture, right?  What gives?!

To figure out what happens to bread when you use whole grain flour, you have to understand the grain itself.  Lets use wheat as an example, since it’s the most common in breadmaking, and pretty representative of many grains as far as this discussion is concerned.  The wheat kernel (also known as a wheat berry) is made up of three parts: the bran, the germ, and the endosperm.  The bran is the outer covering, and provides fiber and B vitamins.  The germ is the part of the grain that grows into a new wheat plant, and contains the only fat in the kernel, along with vitamins and minerals.  The endosperm is the remaining 85% of the grain, and provides carbohydrates and protein.  Here is a good diagram of what it all looks like put together.

In milling whole wheat flour, the whole wheatberry is ground up together.  But for white flour, the bran and germ are removed, leaving only the endosperm.  Yes, this means that it’s less nutritious, since most of the vitamins and fiber are taken out; but in the end, it makes for a fluffier bread.  This is because the bran is sharp, and acts a bit like little knife blades in a dough.  When you form gluten (the tough, rubbery substance created when wheat flour is mixed with water) in a whole wheat dough, the bran actually cuts it, and the germ simply gets in the way of it forming at all.  Without a good gluten structure, your dough has no way to trap the gases produced by the yeast, and therefore has a poor texture.

And not only that, but the bran and germ (as I mentioned yesterday) both absorb more water than the endosperm alone, meaning a whole wheat dough will be drier than a white dough, if mixed in the same proportions.  You can solve this problem by making a wetter dough, and letting it sit longer, therefore giving the brand and germ a chance to fully hydrate.  But then, if it rises too much, the gluten will become overdeveloped (more on that later in the week!), and that bread will also have a poor texture.  So what can be done?  Luckily, there’s a few simple ways to overcome the hurdles presented by a 100% whole grain bread.  I’ll discuss some additional ways in the next few days, and focus on this one for today: if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.

So you’ll never make a perfectly airy baguette with only whole wheat flour.  Let’s aim a little differently, and go for a great American-style sandwich bread instead.  Try working with what whole wheat flour gives you, instead of forcing it to do something it never will.  When making a good sandwich, one doesn’t want giant holes in a slice of bread, since your ingredients will fall out.  Whole wheat bread will never make giant holes!  Perfect!  Additionally, while a hard crust makes for a fabulous bread to eat on its own, it becomes a difficult obstacle to navigate in a sandwich.  And how do we get a soft crust?  By adding milk and butter to the dough, of course!  Both of these ingredients contain fat, a.k.a. “shortening”, because it shortens gluten strands.  This, in turn, means that we don’t have to worry so much about the bran cutting the gluten strands, since we’re trying to do that anyway.  Win!

This dough bakes into a tender, close-crumbed loaf, absolutely ideal for making sandwiches.  You’ll never worry about errant bits of lettuce or mayonnaise falling out of big (but otherwise lovely) holes in your bread; nor will you have to fret about choosing flavor over nutrition - you get both with this one!

One last thing: obviously, this bread contains none of the preservatives included in your average grocery-store sandwich bread.  This is great for your body, but if you don’t plan on eating it within a day or two, I strongly recommend pre-slicing and freezing it.  It will only take a minute to toast and thaw if prepared that way.  But please, please, please, don’t refrigerate it!  A refrigerator is just a big bread-staling machine!  Commercially-produced breads can stand up to it, due to all their added dough conditioners and enhancers; but this wholesome little guy just has no defense.  Treat your bread properly - it’s there to nourish you!

100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
Adapted from King Arthur Flour
Makes 1 loaf

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (1 package)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 cup instant mashed potato flakes
16 ounces (about 3 3/4 cups) whole wheat flour, divided
1 cup hot milk (120º to 130º F)
1/2 cup orange juice 
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the yeast, salt, sugar, potato flakes, and 14 ounces (about 3 1/4 cups) of the flour, setting the remaining flour aside.  Add the milk, orange juice, and butter.  Using the dough hook and scraping the bowl as necessary, mix at low speed until the dough forms a cohesive ball, about 6 or 7 minutes.  Add the reserved 2 ounces flour as needed to achieve the proper consistency (the dough should be slightly sticky, but not at all liquidy; see note 1 below).  Increase the speed to medium-low and mix for 1 minute more, until some gluten strands begin to form.

2.  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead a few times until it forms a smooth round.  Transfer the dough to a lightly-oiled bowl, cover, and let rest in a warm place about 45 minutes.  The dough should not quite double in size.

3.  Lightly oil a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.  Without punching down, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Gently press and roll the dough into a loaf shape (it will deflate a little; this is okay), pressing the seam to seal.  Tuck the ends under, and set the dough in the prepared pan, seam side down.  Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap, and let rise another 45 to 60 minutes, or until not quite doubled in size.  Preheat the oven to 350º F.

4.  Bake the bread at 350º F for 10 minutes.  Loosely tent the bread with aluminum foil, and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 190º F in the middle of the loaf.  Remove from the pan and let cool on a rack thoroughly before slicing.

Notes:
1.  If your weather is very dry, you may not need to add any of the reserved flour; but if your weather is humid, you may need to add all of it.

2.  You can rub the finished loaf, hot from the oven, with a bit of butter to ensure a soft crust and pretty shine, if you like.

3.  FYI, the orange juice is in there to reduce bitterness produced by a less-than-perfectly-immaculate whole wheat flour, and doesn’t impart any flavor of its own.  If you have a pristine, ground-that-morning whole wheat flour, you should substitute water instead; otherwise, I recommend using it.

4.  This bread should be eaten within a day or two, stored at room temperature; otherwise, it should be sliced and frozen, wrapped tightly.

Week Seventeen: Bread with Mix-Ins

I absolutely love the taste of walnuts with sage.  They’re both so earthy and robust, and the combination of flavors is simply fabulous.  I know it’s more of a Fall taste, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to include a walnut-sage bread this week.

And not only are the walnuts and sage good enough on their own, they’re downright delicious mixed generously into a whole wheat dough.  The nuttiness of the whole wheat of course matches excellently with the walnuts; and if you chop them finely enough, it’s hard to tell where bread ends and walnut begins.

Speaking of such things, let’s talk chopping of nuts for a minute.  Normally, I prefer to chop nuts by hand; but in this case, a food processor will do the job just as well, if not better.  Nuts chopped in a food processor tend to  end up a little less evenly sized, with some left in big chunks and the rest pulverized to powder.  This is actually preferable here, since the walnut powder will sort of dissolve into the dough, while the big chunks provide a lovely contrast of texture.

Having said that, though, I did chop these by hand, because I couldn’t bring myself to wash my little food processor, and the cutting board was sitting right there.  I tried to mimic the “half chunky, half powdery” result, by really going at half of the walnuts.  Result: my hand is still a bit sore, and I wish I had just washed the silly thing instead.  But I guess it worked pretty well.

One change I might make to this bread next time is to add a little honey or brown sugar to the dough.  See, walnut skins are a little bitter, and are nearly impossible to remove.  When in such large quantities as the walnuts are here, you will taste that bitterness, though it’s not an unpleasant taste.  A little sweetness would balance it out, however; but I didn’t think of it until too late.  Caveat baker.

This bread comes out with a lovely, flaky crust, and a lovely, rustic crumb.  It was good to eat on its own, but I think it would be better matched with something; like in a turkey and blue cheese sandwich, or even to make a bread pudding out of (lemon-walnut-sage bread pudding, anyone?).  Or you can do what I did: simply have a slice toasted with your morning coffee.  Simple and tasty, somehow honest, it’s what these flavors are all about.

Walnut Sage Bread
Makes 1 big loaf or 2 small loaves

6 ounces whole wheat flour
10 ounces unbleached bread flour, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons instant or rapid rise yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup hot milk (120º to 130º F)
3/4 cup hot water (120º to 130º F)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped finely
2 tablespoons fresh sage, minced

1.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together all the whole wheat flour and 6 ounces of the bread flour, yeast, and salt.  Add the olive oil to the water and milk.  Add to the flour mixture in the mixer bowl.  Using the dough hook, mix at low speed until the dough comes together, scraping the bowl if necessary.  Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until smooth and elastic, about 7 to 8 minutes, adding the reserved bread flour as needed to achieve the proper consistency.  The dough should be a little slack, but not too wet.

2.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead a few times, until a skin forms around the outside of the dough.   Pull the skin taught around the dough, forming a round ball.  Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat all sides with the oil.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

3.  Punch the dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured surface.  Roll the dough out flat, about 12 to 15 inches across, or as big as the dough will allow.  Sprinkle the dough evenly with the walnuts and sage.

4.  Fold the edges of the dough over the nuts, so that they meet in the middle.  Press to seal.  Knead until the nuts are evenly incorporated throughout the dough, sprinkling with additional flour as needed to keep from sticking (see note 2 below).  Form the dough into an oval-shaped loaf, and transfer to a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.  Dust with additional flour, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rest in a warm place until nearly doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

5.  Preheat the oven to 425º F.  Uncover the dough, and quickly slash 3 times with a sharp serrated knife.  If the dough deflates, let it rest another 15 to 20 minutes before baking.  Spray or sprinkle the dough with water, then bake at 425º F for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and baked through.  Transfer to a rack to cool thoroughly.

Notes:
1.  If using active-dry yeast, mix the water and milk together, at a temperature of 105º to 115º F.  Sprinkle one packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) of active-dry yeast over, stirring to dissolve.  Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.  Proceed as directed.

2.  Kneading the walnuts into the dough (step 4) can get a little messy, as the nuts break through the dough and scatter across the counter.  It does provide a more even distribution of nuts throughout the dough, but if you prefer a quicker and neater method, try rolling the nuts into the dough instead.  Starting at one edge, roll the dough up jelly-roll fashion, pressing the seam to seal.  Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, tucking the ends under.  Proceed as directed.

Week Seventeen: Breads with Mix-Ins

Some of you eagle-eyed readers may have noticed the name of this recipe: “Ground Corn Bread”.  I know, it’s a little awkward, but there’s no other way to put it, really; it’s not cornbread.  But what it is exactly depends on where you’re from.  This bread is made from coarsely ground corn, not cornmeal, which (though it is also ground-up corn) has a finer texture.  Now what do you know that’s made of corn, but is coarser than cornmeal?

That’s right, I’m talking about grits.  Or polenta.  Whatever, it’s the same thing.  No, really!  I’m serious!  It’s all ground-up corn of various levels of coarseness; it’s just that grits are usually white, and polenta is usually yellow.  For a really in-depth discussion, I’ll direct your attention to the transcript of the “True Grits” episode of Good Eats (please do note the “hominy” discussion by Mr. Alton Brown himself at the bottom of the page).

(Oh, and for those of you out there who shun grits as homely and tasteless, but find polenta to be a cosmopolitan delight, I’d like to remind you that corn didn’t even show up in Italy until the mid 1600’s.  Before that, “polenta” was made from barley or buckwheat.  The corn, of course, came from the New World.  Where we eat grits.  So there.)

But whatever you call it, most ground corn doesn’t make a terribly good bread on its own; this is why you mix in flour for the best cornbread.  Cornmeal takes longer to absorb water than wheat flour does, mainly because of the larger size of the particles (when you look really, really closely at it).  This bread solves that problem by cooking the grits/polenta first, resulting in a smoother, less (ahem) gritty texture.

There’s no denying that corn and pine nuts are together a thing of beauty; but when you cook the pine nuts to a roasty brown in a little butter before mixing into a grits/polenta-rich dough, the two become elevated to extraordinary.  This bread twists them together in a nutty, browned-butter singularity, which bakes into a delightfully toothsome loaf.

Pine nuts and ground corn
Rolled into one single loaf
The bread tastes so nice

Ground Corn and Pine Nut Bread
Makes 1 large loaf

1/2 cup ground corn (grits or polenta)
1 1/4 cups water, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast (or 1 package active-dry yeast, see note 1 below)
1 teaspoon honey
16 ounces unbleached bread flour, divided
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Cornmeal, for dusting 

1.  Mix the grits or polenta with 1 cup of the water in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil, stirring continuously.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.  Set aside to cool for 10 minutes, or until no longer steaming (120º to 130º F if using instant yeast, see note 1 below).

2.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the yeast with 8 ounces of the flour (about 2 cups).  Add the warm grits/polenta, the remaining 1/4 cup water, and the honey.  Using the dough hook, mix at low speed until a rough dough forms, about 2 minutes or so, scraping the bowl as needed.  Increase the speed to medium and knead for about 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.  (Dough may look lumpy, depending on the consistency of your grits or polenta.)

3.  Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for about 2 to 3 hours, or until it has doubled in size.

4.  Melt the butter over medium heat in a small saucepan.  Add the pine nuts and cook for a minute or two, or until just beginning to turn golden.  Remove from heat, and let sit until cooled.  If they begin to turn dark brown, remove to a bowl immediately to cool.

5.  Reserving 3 or so ounces (about 3/4 cup) of flour, add the reminder and the salt to the grits/polenta dough.  Mix with the dough hook on low speed until a rough dough forms.  Slowly add the pine nuts and melted butter, scraping the bowl if necessary.  Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.  Add the reserved flour as needed to achieve a dough that clears the sides of the bowl, but is not too firm.

6.  Remove to a lightly-oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 50 to 60 minutes.  Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Dust the pan with cornmeal.

7.  Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a surface lightly dusted with flour.  Divide the dough into two equal pieces.  Roll each out to a rope about 16 inches long.  Twist the two ropes together to form one long loaf, pinching the ends to seal.  Transfer gently to the prepared baking sheet, and sprinkle more cornmeal over the top.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise again for 45 minutes.

8.  Preheat the oven to 400º F.  When heated, bake the loaf for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack before serving.

Notes:
1.  If using active-dry yeast, let the grits/polenta mixture cool to 105º to 115º F.  Mix the remaining water, honey, and yeast together before mixing in with the flour.

2.  Whatever you decide to call it, please use stone-ground grits or polenta.  It’s not difficult to find, and the flavor is incomparable (long story short, the flavorful hull and germ of the corn are left intact by stone-grinding; this is not the case with metal grinders).

Week Seventeen: Bread with Mix-Ins

Surely there’s no more classically Greek combination than the pairing of black olives and red onions.  Add feta (now with its own PDO!) and mint, and you might as well start shouting, “Opa!”

Okay, there’s no feta in this bread.  But there is plenty of black olive, red onion, and mint.  And man, would it ever be delicious served with a tangy block of feta!  Or, for a truly decadent treat, you could form the loaf into a baguette shape, and broil slices topped with feta until it goes all melty and golden-brown.  Opa!

This bread, called Elioti in Greek, is a Cypriot bread once served primarily at Lent, but now is made year-round.  It’s traditionally filled with onion (usually red), olives of any sort, and an herb, either cilantro, mint, or a combination.  Parsley is sometimes used, and would be a perfect substitute if you cannot abide cilantro.  Personally, I like the depth of flavor that a mixture of herbs provides, so I’ve written the recipe here with mint and cilantro.  But if you’re a purist and insist on keeping your herbs solo, I assure you, it will be just as delicious.  Any kind of olive will do, but Kalamata are ideal for this purpose.  I’ve chosen to go with cured olives, mainly because I had them in the fridge, but also because I absolutely love their massive pop of flavor.  Just be sure to chop them finely, so they distribute more evenly throughout the dough.

I’ve found that in breadmaking, the less flour you can add to a dough, the better, since moisture in the dough means more steam (and rising) in the oven heat.  It also makes for a more tender, moister bread, generally speaking.  But with this bread, you don’t have to worry too much about that.  See, in baking, the raw red onion breaks down within the bread, releasing additional moisture.  That doesn’t exactly mean you can turn an overly-stiff dough into a work of culinary genius, but it does go a long way towards rescuing a not-quite-perfect dough.  And if you can get the balance just right (it’s not too hard), you end up with a chewy, crusty bread that’s as tender inside as any coffee cake.

Speaking of coffee cake, slices of this bread actually do look a bit like a piece of cinnamon-swirled coffee cake, because of all the color from the red onion and black olive.  But one bite will have your palate in a heaven of savory flavors, salty with the bits of olive, and almost sweet from the onions just about to caramelize.  The herbs lend a fragrant, earthy tone that sets off the other ingredients wonderfully, not to mention the fruity olive oil flavor from the dough itself.  Tender, crusty, olive-y, minty… there’s just one word for it all: Opa!

Olive and Red Onion Bread (Elioti)
Makes 1 large loaf or 2 small loaves

22 ounces unbleached bread flour (a scant 5 cups), divided
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 heaped tablespoon instant or rapid-rise yeast (or 2 packages active-dry, see note 2 below)
1 1/2 cups hot water (120º to 130º F)
5 tablespoons olive oil
3 ounces oil-cured olives (about 1/2 cup), finely minced
1 small (or 1/2 large) red onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint (or 1 tablespoon dry)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1.  Reserve 2 to 3 ounces (about 1/2 cup) of the flour; set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the remaining flour, salt, and yeast.  Add the hot water and olive oil.  Using the dough hook, mix at low speed until a shaggy dough forms.  Increase the speed to medium and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.  Add the reserved flour as needed to achieve the proper consistency; the dough should clear the sides of the bowl.

2.  Transfer the dough to a lightly-oiled bowl, turning to coat all sides.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

3.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured surface and punch down.  Cut off a corner of the dough (about 1/8 of the volume), pat into an elongated shape, cover, and set aside.

4.  Lightly roll the remainder of the dough into a large round, as big as the dough will easily stretch.  Sprinkle the onion, olives, and herbs evenly over the surface.  Bring the sides of the round into the middle, and knead until the ingredients are evenly incorporated.  (The dough may tear, spilling the mix-ins.  Just keep kneading until it’s all mostly in the dough, adding a little extra flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking.)  Shape the dough into an oval loaf, and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

5.  Divide the reserved dough lengthwise into two equal pieces.  Roll each out into a long rope, about 16 inches long, or as long as the dough will easily stretch.  Twist the two together into a single rope.  Cut the twisted rope in half, and pinch the ends to seal.  Drape each piece decoratively over the loaf on the baking sheet, tucking the ends under the loaf to keep in place.  Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes, or until almost doubled in size.

6.  Preheat the oven to 400º F.  Dust flour over the loaf, and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown, and baked through.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Notes:
1.  Be sure to use oil-cured olives, as their robust flavor makes the bread.  If you simply can’t find them, plain black olives will work instead; just increase the amount to 1 cup.  If you absolutely must use jarred or canned, a 4 ounce container should do it.

2.  If using active-dry yeast, heat the water to 105º to 115º F.  Stir the yeast into half of the water, and let sit until foamy, about 5 to 10 minutes.  Add the remaining water and olive oil, and mix with the flour and salt as directed.

3.  The decorative twists (step 5) certainly aren’t mandatory, but they do lend a certain celebratory air to the loaf.  Plus, I think they’re kind of cute.