Food Fridays #5

The first time I made this was for a study group I was part of while I was getting my MA. Seven of us met weekly to study the entirety of Gaardner's History of Art because we were responsible for all 1000 or so images in that book for our MA Slide Exam. Considering that we spent more time laughing, eating and asking each other how to spell "sarcophagus" then actually studying, it's fortunate that the professors must have graded the Exam like we were kindergarteners ("Oh, she got the time period right within a century and described the painting in great detail--even though she didn't know its title or artist or anything about it otherwise. Give her full credit; her description was pretty.")

All that said, this bread is incredibly good. And if you eat it right after it comes out of the oven (which you should) it has this amazingly crispy outer crust with a soft, warm, doughy inside (because of the onion). It's from a cookbook called Fat-Free Cooking (and, yes, it's pretty low-fat, as is most bread that isn't full of, say, cheddar).


Olive and Oregano Bread

1 1/4 cups warm water
1 tsp. dried yeast
pinch of sugar
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/3 cup pitted black olives, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp. black olive paste
1 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
(you may substitute 1-2 tsp. of dried herbs, if you wish)

Put half the warm water in a cup and sprinkle the yeast on top. Add the sugar and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan and fry the onion gently until golden brown.

Sift the flour in a mixing bowl with the salt and pepper. Make a well in the center; and add the yeast mixture, the fried onion (with the oil), the olives, olive paste, herbs and remaining water. Gradually incorporate the flour; and mix into a soft dough, adding a little extra water if necessary. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place in a mixing bowl, and cover with a damp dish towel. Leave in a warm place to rise for about 2 hours, until the dough has doubled in bulk. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead again for a few minutes. Shape into an 8inch round and place on the prepared baking sheet. Using a large sharp knife, make crisscross cuts over the top. Cover and let stand in a warm place for 30 minutes until well risen. Preheat oven to 425˚F.

Dust the loaf with a little flour. Bake for 10 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 400˚F. Bake the 20 more minutes, or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Transfer to wire rack and allow to cool slightly before serving.