No Knead Mediterranean Olive Bread Food

NO-KNEAD, EASY GREEK OLIVE BREAD

Steps:

• Pour the milk into a glass measure and stir in the yeast until it dissolves. Set aside for 10 minutes.
• In a larger bowl, mix the flour and the salt and then add the milk and the yeast, stirring gently with a wooden spoon to incorporate. At this point, the dough will still be sticky - do not add more flour. Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer equipped with a dough hook.
• Cover the bowl with a towel, place it in a warm spot and let it rise for an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375° F. Place a 12" cast iron skillet in the oven until it is very hot.
• Add the extra virgin olive oil, the chopped olives and the oregano to the bread dough and mix well with a spatula, folding over the dough and scrapping the sides of the bowl, until well incorporated.
• Carefully remove from the oven the hot pan, line it with a piece of parchment paper and immediately add the dough, spreading and smoothing the top with a spatula.
• Transfer the hot pan to the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until it is golden brown on the top and the bottom.
• Remove from the oven and let the bread cool a bit in the pan. Lift the bread from the parchment paper and lace on a wire rack to cool.

MEDITERRANEAN OLIVE BREAD

Steps:

• Combine yeast and warm water in small bowl and let stand about 5 minutes.
• In large mixer bowl, beat sugar and butter until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition, then finally stir in yeast mixture.
• Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour and beat at medium speed for 10 minutes Stir in 1 1/2 cups more flour just till moistened. Scrape dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead, adding flour to prevent sticking , until dough is smooth (about 7 mins.). Put dough in a lightly greased bowl and turn over to grease the top.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until dough is doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours (I find my oven, even when turned off, is the warmest place in my house).
• Drain olives well, then pat dry.
• Turn dough out on a lightly floured board and knead to expel air; add flour to prevent sticking. Pat dough into a 14-16 inch square. Scatter olives eenly over the dough and press in lightly. (Optional, at this point I also like to add my garlic and scatter it between the olives).
• Roll up dough to enclose olives and place seam side down on a greased 12x15 inch baking sheet. Turn open ends of dough under to make a smooth surface. Pat loaf to flatten and shape it into an oval about 1 3/4 inches thick. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until puffy, about 30 minutes.
• Uncover loaf and brush with egg yolk. Bake in a 325 degree Fahrenheit oven that's been preheated, baking about 45 minutes Transfer to rack to cool for at least 10 minutes Serve warm or at room temperature.
• If made ahead, let cool, package airtight, and let stand overnight at room temperature Freeze to store longer; let thaw, wrapped, at least 6 hours. To reheat, place unwrapped loaf on a 12x15 inch pan in a 325 degree oven for 20-30 minutes
• (The original recipe also recommended using either unsalted butter or "Anchovy Butter [food process 5 drained anchovy fillets with 1/2 cup unsalted butter, and it can be stored covered and chilled for up to a week] but I don't use it since my children would refuse anything with Anchovies.).

ALMOST NO-KNEAD BREAD WITH OLIVES, ROSEMARY, AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, yeast, salt, Parmesan, and rosemary in large bowl. Add water, olives, beer, and vinegar.
• Using rubber spatula, fold mixture, scraping up dry flour from bottom of bowl until shaggy ball forms. (The dough will be very wet.).
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 18 hours.
• Line inside of 10 inch skillet with a 12- by 18-inch sheet of parchment paper.
• Spray paper with nonstick cooking spray.
• Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead 10 to 15 times. Shape dough into ball by pulling edges into middle.
• Transfer dough, seam-side down, to parchment-lined skillet and spray surface of dough with nonstick cooking spray.
• Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until dough has doubled in size and does not readily spring back when poked with finger, about 2 hours. (I've also retarded the rising by placing dough in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours.).
• About 30 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (with lid) on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees.
• Lightly flour top of dough and, using razor blade or sharp knife, make one 6-inch-long, 1/2-inch-deep slit along top of dough.
• Carefully remove pot from oven and remove lid.
• Pick up dough by lifting parchment overhang and lower into pot (let any excess parchment hang over pot edge).
• Cover pot and place in oven.
• Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake covered for approximately 30 minutes.
• Remove lid and continue to bake until loaf is deep brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 210 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes longer.
• Carefully remove bread from pot; transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

NO-KNEAD SKILLET OLIVE BREAD

Steps:

• Combine water and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 cup flour and 1/2 tablespoon salt. Stir using a wooden spoon until combined. Stir in olives, reserved herbs and garlic, and garlic powder. Add remaining flour 1 cup at a time, stirring until thoroughly combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour.
• Add 1 tablespoon oil to an 8-inch cast iron skillet and spread to coat bottom and sides. Flour your hands. Remove plastic wrap from bowl and transfer dough to the prepared skillet and shape into a disc. Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Drizzle remaining oil on top of the loaf and sprinkle with salt and parsley. Score the top of the loaf with a knife.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the top is nicely browned, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Remove bread from oven and turn on to a wire rack to cool before serving, about 20 minutes.