Sourdough Bread with Olives – Bread of the Month

We eat a lot of bread, especially sourdough. The funny thing about sourdough is that it tastes different depending on where the starter grows. The tanginess comes from both lactic and acetic acids, the latter of the two being the tangiest. It also absorbs environmental bacteria. Some places, like San Francisco, happen to have the tastiest bacteria! Now add some deliciously salty olives to it – amazing!

Here’s how you make it

Feed the starter by adding 1/4 flour and 1/4 cup water to 3/4 cup sourdough starter. Let it sit for about 30 minutes.

With any bread, you first need to activate the yeast. Empty the yeast package into a small bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and 1/2 cup of lukewarm water. Stir and let it sit. In about 10 minutes it will look foamy and thick. You’ve activated the yeast!

While the yeast is working, sift the flours and salt together into the mixing bowl of a mixer that is fitted with a bread hook. The olive will add saltiness to the bread so you don’t need quite as much as other breads.

Pour in the starter and yeast, then start on low (otherwise the flour will go all over the place).

Add the olives and 1/2 cup water and slowly turn up the speed to high. As the ingredients blend, the dough will pull away from the sides of the bowl and start to slap on the edges. The olives will break up into the dough.

Turn off the mixer and pinch the dough. If it’s sticky, add a little more flour and start mixing again.

Once it’s a soft dough, continue to knead with the dough hook for 5 minutes.

Turn off the mixer, pull the dough off the hook.

Let it rest about 2 minutes, then knead for another 2 or three minutes. Remove the dough and place in a greased bowl.

Cover with a warm, damp cloth and place it on the top of the refrigerator or the back of the stove. It needs warmth to rise.

After it rises to about double in bulk, (about 2 to 3 hours) punch it down, squeeze it and pull it a little. Shape into a loaf and place on a stone or cookie sheet. Cover with a damp cloth, place it in a warm place and allow it to rise another hour or so.

Bake at 425° (Be sure to preheat the oven) for about 45 minutes to an hour. It will be golden and sound hollow when you tap on it. It should feel light when you lift it.

Slather the top with butter

I thought this looked a little like an alligator head – Alligator bread!! LOL

then set it on a rack to cool. Resist the temptation to cut it and have a bite! There is a lot of steam inside those crusty walls. If you cut too soon that steam forms little moisture pockets and gives the bread little bits of gummy texture.

But once it’s cool enough to hold it in your hand longer than a minutes, it’s cool enough to cut.

Slather a piece with some butter and take a bite!

Delicious! This bread makes great crostini!

© Copyright 2020 The Lazy Gastronome

5 from 8 votes

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Olive Sourdough Bread

A crusty loaf of tangy sourdough and kalamata olives. Great as crostini or sandwiches!

Course: bread, Breads, yeast bread

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bread, loaf, olives, sourdough, yeast

Servings: 1 loaf

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

• 1 package active yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1-1/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup Sourdough starter
• 4-1/4 cup bread flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup kalamata olives - whole and pitted

Instructions

1. Feed the starter by adding 1/4 flour and 1/4 cup water to 3/4 cup sourdough starter. Let it sit for about 30 minutes.

2. With any bread, you first need to activate the yeast. Empty the yeast package into a small bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and 1/2 cup of lukewarm water. Stir and let it sit. In about 10 minutes it will look foamy and thick. You've activated the yeast!

3. While the yeast is working, sift the flours and salt together into the mixing bowl of a mixer that is fitted with a bread hook.

4. Pour in the starter and the yeast, then start on low (otherwise the flour will go all over the place).

5. Add the olives and 1/2 cup water and slowly turn up the speed to high. As the ingredients blend, the dough will pull away from the sides of the bowl and start to slap on the edges. The olives will break up into the dough.

6. Turn off the mixer and pinch the dough. If it's sticky, add a little more flour and start mixing again.

7. Once it's a soft dough, continue to knead with the dough hook for 5 minutes.

8. Turn off the mixer, pull the dough off the hook.

9. Let it rest about 2 minutes, then knead for another 2 or three minutes. Remove the dough and place in a greased bowl.

10. Cover with a warm, damp cloth and place it on the top of the refrigerator or the back of the stove. It needs warmth to rise.

11. After it rises to about double in bulk, (about 2 to 3 hours) punch it down, squeeze it and pull it a little. Shape into a loaf and place on a stone or parchment covered cookie sheet. Cover with a damp cloth, place it in a warm place and allow it to rise another hour or so.

12. Bake at 425° (Be sure to preheat the oven) for about 45 minutes to an hour. It will be golden and sound hollow when you tap on it. It should feel light when you lift it.

13. Slather the top with butter then set it on a rack to cool. Resist the temptation to cut it and have a bite! There is a lot of steam inside those crusty walls. If you cut too soon that steam forms little moisture pockets and gives the bread little bits of gummy texture.

14. But once it's cool enough to hold it in your hand longer than a minutes, it's cool enough to cut. Slather a piece with some butter and take a bite!

Recipe Notes

© Copyright 2020 The Lazy Gastronome

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