Recipe: Kalamata Olive Bread (bread machine dough cycle)

KALAMATA OLIVE BREAD

FOR THE SPONGE:
1 cup water
1 cup bread flour
1 cup rye flour
1 teaspoon bread machine yeast

FOR THE DOUGH:
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped Kalamata olives

TO PREPARE THE SPONGE:
Combine 1 cup water with 1 cup bread flour and 1 cup rye flour and yeast in a bread machine pan. Process on dough setting. Allow sponge to stand in closed bread machine up to 2 days before finishing bread.

TO PREPARE BREAD DOUGH:
Add salt, 2 1/2 cups bread flour and oil to sponge in pan. Process on dough setting again. Once dough setting has finished, turn soft dough out onto a lightly floured surface and flatten into a rough 12-inch round.

Press olives into surface. Roll dough from edges to center to form into a round shape, then press down to flatten lightly. Rub flour into surface of bread. Let rise, covered, on a sheet of parchment paper until nearly doubled in bulk.

TO SHAPE AND BAKE THE BREAD:
Place a stone in bottom third of preheated 375 degree F oven for 30 minutes.

Using a razor blade, make quick tic-tac-toe slice in top of round bread, or for a baguette shape, cut diagonal slashes on a long loaf. If desired, brush on an egg wash. (A whole egg whisked with 1 tablespoon water gives a shiny, medium brown glaze. An egg yolk whisked with 1 tablespoon milk gives the shiniest mahogany-brown glaze. Plain egg white whisked with 1 tablespoon water gives a caramel shine.)

Use a peel to shovel raised dough onto hot stone. Bake in preheated 375 degree F oven 30 to 40 minutes until browned and done. Cool thoroughly on a rack before cutting.

Makes 1 (12-inch) loaf.
Source: Rustic European Breads From Your Bread Machine by Diana Collingwood Butts and Linda West Eckhardt