Cypriot Olive Bread
Ingredients:
Olive Mixture:
- 2 cups (360g) Sun-Dried Black Olives or Kalamata Olives, pitted and cut in half
- 1 cup (16g) Cilantro or Italian Parsley, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup (40g) Yellow Onion, finely diced
- 3 Green Onions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup (60ml) Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
- Zest of 1 Medium Orange
Dough:
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (150ml) Warm Water
- 8 g Quick Rise Instant Yeast
- 1/2 tsp White Fine Sugar
- 3 cups (360g) Bread Flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive
- 1/4 cup (60ml) Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice, 1 medium orange
Directions:
- In a medium bowl, add all the olive mixture ingredients and toss well.
- In a measuring cup, add warm water, yeast and sugar. Give it a little stir and leave it to proof.
- In another large glass bowl, mix flour with salt. Add in olive oil and mix well with hands until it resembles a crumbly texture. Stir in olive mixture until well combined. Pour in yeast mixture and orange juice. Mix until a slightly sticky dough forms.
- Turn dough onto floured surface and knead until soft, about 8-9 minutes. Place in a lightly floured bowl, cover with towel and let proof in a warm spot until dough has doubled in size (about 1 hour).
- Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead for a few minutes more. Line the large glass bowl with unbleached parchment paper. Place dough on parchment paper, cover with towel and let proof for an additional 20 minutes.
- While dough is proofing, preheat oven to 500°F.
- Place cast iron pot with lid into oven so it gets really hot. This is a very import step so the dough expands nicely when baking and you get a nice crisp crust. Once pot is hot, carefully transfer dough with parchment into the hot pot. Place lid back on and bake for 20 minutes.
- Reduce heat to 450°F and remove lid. Bake for an additional 25-30 minutes until bread is dark golden and crisp.
- Remove from oven and let rest to slightly cool.
Prep Time: 1 Hour 45 Minutes
Bake Time: 45-50 Minutes
Total Time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes
Yield: 1 Loaf
Thanks to @irenematys