Mediterranean bread

 

 

450g strong, unbleached white flour

50g rye flour

280g bottled water

120g sourdough starter

15g olive oil

70g oven-dried tomatoes* (chopped)

60g pitted black olives (quartered)

15g chia seeds

15g poppy seeds

3g baker’s yeast

10g kosher salt

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Put the flour in a mixing bowl with the water, sourdough starter, salt, chia and poppy seeds, olive oil and baker’s yeast.  Mix together well and knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and black olives and mix into the dough.  Leave to rise covered with a tea towel for about 2 hours.  Take the dough out of the bowl.   Shape into a disc and fold over 4 edges to the centre, turn over and mould into a ball.  Leave the dough to rise on a greased flat baking tray or in a well floured banneton for 1.5 to 2 hours or until it has doubled in bulk (Cover with a tea towel).  Pre-heat  the oven @ 220°C with a shallow tray of water at the bottom of the oven to create steam. Brush with rye flour and slash, as desired, with a lame or razor blade.  Bake for 27 minutes.  Allow to cool on a wire tray, covered with a tea towel.

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* I make my own oven-dried tomatoes.  Use 1kg tomatoes, wash well and cut each tomato into 8 segments.  Place them on a greased baking tray and liberally sprinkle rock or kosher salt and ground black pepper over them.  Finally pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the tomatoes and bake in a pre-heated oven @ 120°C for 90 minutes to 2 hours.  Make sure they are all well dried out, so you may have to cook them for longer.  Some pieces of tomato will be ready before others.  Take them out, once they are ready, and place them in a jar of olive oil.  Seal and store in the fridge. Great for your bread but wonderful with salads too.  These will keep for several weeks.