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:

1. In a medium bowl, add all the olive mixture ingredients and toss well.
2. In a measuring cup, add warm water, yeast and sugar. Give it a little stir and leave it to proof.
3. 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.
4. 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).
5. 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.
6. While dough is proofing, preheat oven to 500°F.
7. 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.
8. Reduce heat to 450°F and remove lid. Bake for an additional 25-30 minutes until bread is dark golden and crisp.
9. 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