Olive Sourdough Bread

 I felt like a non-loaf style olive bread for this week. Here's what I came up with.

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 2.5 ounces warm water
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 8 ounces sourdough starter
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large egg
• 8 3/4 ounces All Purpose Flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons powdered milk

Filling:

• 3 - 4 ounces shredded Italian-blend cheese (I used mozzarella and feta)
• 3 to 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (or about 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
• 3 ounces (1/2 cup volume before slicing) green olives, sliced and diced
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, diced
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dried)

Instructions:

1. Proof the yeast in the warm water with a tablespoon or so of the flour in a stand mixer bowl.
2. Mix in the sourdough while you are gathering the other ingredients
3. Mix in the rest of the dough ingredients.
4. Knead for 5 to 6 minutes - the dough will probably stick a bit to the bottom of the bowl.
   (Add additional flour up to 1/4 cup or so as needed to make it less sticky.)
5. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for 45 to 60 minutes, or until it has doubled.
6. Drain and dry the olives on paper towel, chop as needed. 
7. Gently deflate the dough on a floured surface and pat it into a 22" x 8" rectangle.
       
   
   
       
8. Sprinkle dough with the cheese(s), olives, garlic, rosemary, and basil.
9. Starting with one long edge, roll the dough into a long log. Seal the edges by pinching.
     
   
     
    
10. Place the log seam side down on a baking sheet covered with a piece of parchment paper sprinkled with a little semolina flour.
11. Using a slashing tool or sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut 1" deep into the top of the log up 1" from each end. (You want to cut into the next layers.)
12. Twist the sliced log into a "figure 8"with the edges slipped under the center and pinched together.
    (Or form into the "figure 8", then slice it. Next time I think I will mush the bread together more so it will be a taller loaf.)
      
    
             
13. Cover with cooking spray misted plastic wrap,  and let rise in a warm place until double, 45 to 60 minutes.
14. About 15 minutes before the rise is complete, preheat the oven to 350°F.
15. Remove plastic wrap from the bread, and bake it for 15 to 20 minutes.
16. Check bread - if needed, tent with foil to prevent over browning, and bake 20 to 15 minutes for a total of 35 to 40 minutes.




17. Remove the bread from the oven, and place it on a cooling rack to cool. 
18. Serve warm or at room temperature.
    (It it supposed to keep ok for a few days when well-wrapped at room temperature, or else you could refrigerate or freeze it.)

Carole's Notes:

Feta, rosemary, olives, and bread - yes I liked it. It was delicious.

By the way - my sourdough starter is over one year old! He looks like this now, about an hour or so after he has been fed.

The olive bread recipe is adapted from http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/new-greek-olive-and-onion-bread-recipe and http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/pane-bianco-recipe