Olive Bread - Easy and Delish

Can you believe I just made this delicious Olive bread!  Straight out of Jamie Oliver's The Return of the Naked Chef cookbook with the addition of a cup of sliced olives.  And it was so easy to do... thoroughly recommended for a quiet afternoon!

And if you want to have go...

30g/1oz fresh yeast or 3x 7g sachets dried yeast

30g/1oz honey (or sugar)

625ml warm water

1kg or just over 2lb strong bread flour

30g/1oz salt

some extra flour for dusting

1cup of sliced pitted olives (I used kalamata)

Dissolve the yeast in warm water.

On a clean surface make a pile of the flour and salt.  Make a well in the centre and pour in all the dissolved yeast mixutre.  Gently work the yeast mixture with the flour around the well until all the yeast mixture is soaked up.  You might need more water so just add as you go.  Add the olives into the dough.  The dough will be a moist pliable dough.  Knead the dough for about 5 mins or more - the more the better so make sure you have the energy for it. 

Make the dough into a roundish shape and score some cuts into the top to help it rise/prove.  Sprinkle with flour.  Cover the dough and place it in a warm place to prove/rise.  After about 45 mins the dough will double in size and its time to knead it again.  Knead it to knock the air out.  Again for a couple of minutes will do.  Now you can shape the dough into any size, shape you like.  If you want bread rolls, break off handfuls of the dough and make into rolls.  If you want a loaf of bread, shape it into the baking tin you have. 

Place the dough (or rolls) into your tin (flour the tin beforehand) and cover again, in a warm place for another 45 mins to prove/rise to double its size. 

To cook; pre-heat your oven to 180c and gently place the tin on the rack (try not to knock it as you've gone to the trouble to make it rise so much).  Bake for 30 mins or until golden brown.  Voila!  Break the bread, cut a slice, enjoy it with some butter or dip or as a sandwich.  It's delicious!  Good luck...  You can also use this recipe without the olives of course as a plain loaf!