Olive-Rosemary Bread

By MooK

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 Cups (14 ounces) water , room temperature
• 2 Teaspoons instant or rapid rise yeast
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 3 1/2 Cups (19 1/4 ounces) bread flour , plus extra as needed for dough and counter
• 1/2 Cup (2 3/4 ounces) whole wheat flour *
• 2 Teaspoons table salt
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 1/2 Cups (6 ounces) pitted olives * *

Preparation

Step 1

Prepare Ingredients

Chop enough rosemary to yield 2 tablespoons. Rinse, roughly chop, and pat dry 1 1/2 cups pitted olives.

Make Dough

Whisk 1 3/4 cups room temperature water, 2 teaspoons instant yeast, and 2 tablespoons honey in bowl of stand mixer. Add 3 1/2 cups bread flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour. Mix on low speed with dough hook until cohesive dough is formed, about 3 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Remove plastic wrap; make well in center of dough and add 2 teaspoons table salt and rosemary. Knead dough on low speed for 5 minutes. (If dough creeps up attachment, stop mixer and scrape down.)

Increase speed to medium and continue to knead until dough is smooth and slightly tacky, about 1 minute. (If dough is very sticky, add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour; mix for 1 minute.) Transfer dough to lightly floured counter and pat into 12 by 6-inch rectangle. Press olives evenly into dough, leaving 1/2 inch border. Starting at long side, roll rectangle into tight log. With seam side facing up, roll log into coil.

Let Dough Rise

Transfer dough, spiral side up, to oiled container or bowl, at least 2 quarts in volume, and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in warm, draft-free location until it increases in size by 50 percent, about 1 hour. Fold partially risen dough over itself. Turn bowl 90 degrees; fold again. Turn bowl again; fold once more. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 30 minutes. Repeat three-step folding process and replace plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.

Shape Dough

Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface, being careful not to deflate. Divide dough in half. Loosely shape each piece into ball and let rest 15 minutes. Flip each ball over. Starting from top, roll into tight oval shape. Using palms, roll each oval (seam side down) from center outward until 12-inch loaf is formed. Poke any olives that fall off into bottom seam, then pinch seam closed. Transfer each loaf, seam side down, to 12 by 6-inch piece of parchment and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (Dough is ready when it springs back slowly when pressed lightly with finger.)

Bake Bread

Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, place baking stone on rack, and heat oven to 450 degrees at least 30 minutes before baking.
Slide parchment sheets with loaves onto back of inverted baking sheet or pizza peel. Starting and stopping about 1 inch from each side, use sharp knife or razor blade to cut three 1/2-inch-deep slashes on diagonal along top of each fully risen loaf. Spray loaves lightly with water.

Carefully slide parchment with loaves into oven, using jerking motion. Bake 15 minutes, spraying loaves with water twice more in first 5 minutes. After 15 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Continue to bake until bread is deep golden brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center of loaf registers 210 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to wire rack, discard parchment, and cool loaves to room temperature, about 2 hours.