rustic olive bread and oregon daydreams

A few weeks ago I was up at Skamania Lodge in WA for a family reunion. On the way back from the lodge, I stopped in P-town - my old college days' stomping grounds - and detoured out to my former neighborhood in SE. It was rush hour and the freeways were clogged. Not Bay Area clogged, but I might as well have waited it out anyway. Besides, it was a good excuse for a little memory lane indulgence. I parked the car near my old house and aimlessly walked the streets. Distant faded memories resurfaced, some that made me smile, some that made me cringe. It was college after all. I tried to imagine the new people living inside the homes where I first played at adulthood. 

Hey, there's Marguerite's house. 

I casually walk by. Do the new residents climb out the 2nd story window, I wondered, the one facing the backyard, to sit on the roof drinking wine under the stars, and writing poetry together with heads thrown back in unguarded laughter? I hope so. 

Down the street about a block away was where I used to live with Maddie and her boyfriend, Jeff. The first year I lived there, it snowed so hard and out of character that the city closed most of its doors for 3 full days. Not that anyone stayed inside! There were sleds to ride and x-country skis to glide and snowmen needing top hats. Snow plows were borrowed from neighboring towns to clear the main streets, but the side streets remained hidden under a heavy white blanket for days. I remembered driving in the snow for the first time, my skin electric with excitement with every slipping tire. Oh, the secrets this neighborhood holds! 

As my sandals flip against the sidewalk, my heart both aches for the vulnerability I felt in my life at that age and swells with gratitude for the experiences and lessons I learned (all too often the hard way).

By now you're probably wondering just what kind of food blog this is anyway! Where are the recipes?! Hang in there. I think I have a point coming.

I wander into the New Seasons corner grocery. I just looove this store - it's shelves are stocked with artisan face creams you can eat, non-toxic perfumes in delicate artful packaging, earthy beet flavored kombucha...all the things that make my heart flutter. This particular store was one of the first natural food stores I shopped in regularly and was, in addition to a place to buy groceries, an education in eco-living. The products I saw on the shelves proudly proclaiming "BPA-free!" sparked an interest in what the heck are BPAs anyway and why should I care. It was the same with the various organic certifications and non-GMO labeled ingredients. Fourteen years ago these were all labels I had never seen before and as my knowledge on these topics increased, so too did my pride in purchasing them. Even still, I find great pleasure in wandering through grocery stores of all kinds in any place I travel to. There is so much cultural insight to be gleaned from the items stocking the shelves. Some people dream of standing under the Eiffel Tower, some dream of touring Universal Studios. Me? Just send me to a market in any corner of the globe! 

It was probably time to get back on the road though. I grabbed a loaf of olive bread, a block of aged-white cheddar to pair it with, and (of course) a beet kombucha to wash it all down. 

Which brings us to here and this post. Phew.

That olive bread was hands down the BEST loaf of bread there ever was (ever). And I cannot find anything even remotely close to it in any store within a 50 mile radius of me. I know, rough. So from the depths of my despair, I rolled my sleeves up, pulled out my flour jar, and scoured the Internet for the most delicious-looking achievable-sounding olive bread recipe I could find. And wouldn't you know it, I found a recipe so simple, my dad could do it! (Just kidding, Dad. You've always made a mean macaroni and cheese with hot dogs!) But no kidding around, this recipe doesn't even require kneading. So no knead to worry about technique. It does require a serious amount of proofing though, so let's get started, shall we?

RUSTIC OLIVE BREAD

Slightly sour with an intense olive flavor.

(Recipe adapted from Jim Lahey's My Bread)

WHAT YOU'LL KNEAD (wait, no, NEED)

// Pitted Olives

// Bread Flour

// Active Dry Yeast

// Salt (optional)

// Water

// Cornmeal

// Rosemary (optional)

// Dutch Oven (preferable)

TIME

// 15 minutes prep

// 14-24 hours rise

// 45 minutes bake

METHOD

(Makes one 10" round loaf to share, or not.)

1. CHOP OLIVES // Roughly chop 1 1/2 cups (200g) of pitted olives of your choice. I used Kalamata for their rich flavor, but I was tempted to throw some green olives in as well. For details on the varieties, health benefits and history of olives, click HERE.

2. MIX DRY INGREDIENTS // In a medium bowl, mix together 3 cups (400g) bread flour, 3/4 teaspoon (3g) active dry yeast, and a pinch or two of salt. The original recipe does not call for salt, as the olives generally provide enough. Depending on the olives you choose, they may have been cured in salt, water, red wine or vinegar. I read a bunch of reviews about this recipe and decided to add a few pinches of salt even with my salt-brined Kalamatas. I was not disappointed I did.

3. ADD OLIVES // Stir roughly chopped and drained olives into the dry ingredients mixture above. This would be a good time to toss in any herbs that strike your fancy (rosemary!).

4. ADD WATER // Here's where the sleeve rolling comes in handy. Add 1 1/2 cups (300g) cool water (55-65°F) and stir with  your hand until all dry ingredients have been transformed into a wet sticky ball of dough. You could also use a wooden spoon for this, but where's the fun in that? 

Note on yeast and H2O temp: Because of the extensive proofing time, your yeast will have plenty of time to work its magic. I don't honestly know if it matters whether or not your water is cool verses warm, but it's possible to kill yeast with hot water. Most strands of bread yeast are happiest at body temperature. If you can't hang out with your hand in it, it is definitely too hot. I've also read that higher temperatures of water with bread yeast can produce an undesirable flavor. Not coolio.

5. PROOF #1 // Cover this sticky mess in the bowl with plastic wrap or a dish towel and place in a warm, breezeless corner until the surface is speckled with bubbles and dough is more than doubled in size, between 12 and 24 hours.

Kick back with some coffee and a good book, do some dishes, and get on with your life. Your work here is done for the next 18 hours or so.

6. PROOF #2 // At the end of the first rise, gently scrape the proofed dough onto a floured workspace. With floured hands nudge, tuck, fold and shape the dough into a ball or disk. Lay out a tea towel and generously cover the towel with flour and/or cornmeal for added texture. Place your round(ish) ball of dough onto the floured towel, seam side down. Pull up the edges of the towel to cover the dough and let to rise for an additional 2 hours.

7. PREHEAT OVEN // About 90 minutes into your second proof, preheat the oven to as hot as is possible with your dutch oven inside, rack positioned in lower third. For me that was 500°F (260°C). If you don't have a dutch oven, you can use a pizza stone or baking tray (results will vary). Check to see that whatever you are using can withstand the high temperature.

8. BAKE 30 MIN WITH LID ON // Using potholders and caution, remove the preheated dutch oven. Carefully roll the dough off the towel and into the dutch oven. Cover with lid and place back into the oven for 30 minutes. This initial time period with the bread baking inside of the closed pot traps the moisture from the bread and results in a light and airy center with a golden crunchy crust. THIS blog explains this process in detail and offers tips for replicating a crunchy crust sans dutch oven or professional grade oven.

9. REMOVE LID + BAKE 15-30 MIN // Continue baking the bread without the lid for 15-30 additional minutes, until crust reaches desired golden brown color. I sort of excessively floured my tea towel in step 6, so it's hard to see the gorgeous deep chestnut color of my loaf below ;)

Voila!

10. COOL YO LOAF // Using a spatula or potholders, lift your loaf out of the dutch oven and onto a cooling rack. Allow loaf to cool thoroughly before slicing; it will continue to cook as it cools.

11. EAT YO LOAF // Slice it up and eat as is or let your creativity run wild. Slice thinly and use for a grilled cheese sandwich. Slice thickly, toast and slather with butter and jam. Best paired with friends.

I'd love to hear about your experience with this recipe! Leave me a comment below or #britandbutter pictures of your loaf on Instagram!