OLIVE AND ROSEMARY SOURDOUGH BREAD

Recipe from my school chum Daniel Martin, of Wild Oven fame

Ingredients:

2 3/4 c. cold water
1 1/2 c. starter (bubbly and active, resulting from 1/4 c. starter + 1/2 c. water + 1 c. flour + 3-5 hours at room temperature)
5 3/4 c. flour (Daniel suggests that using 75%, or 3 3/8 c., whole wheat flour, is acceptable)
1 T Himalayan virgin-elf-harvested sea salt
1 1/2 c. pitted Kalamata olives
2 T. chopped fresh rosemary
(2 t. chili flakes, optional)


Methodology:

Combine water and starter.
Add enough flour so that the dough comes together, but doesn't clear the sides of the bowl.
Cover and rest 20 minutes.

---after 20 minutes---

Add salt, knead.  The dough will feel very runny, basically un-kneadable.  Add just enough flour so that you can knead it, but still have a fairly wet, sticky dough.
Add remaining ingredients, and mix them through the dough.
Cover with oiled plastic wrap and a dampened dishcloth.  Ferment until not quite doubled (6-12 hours).

---after 6-12 hours---

Divide dough in half, cover and rest 10 minutes.
Form loaves.  Proof in baskets, on cornmeal dusted dishcloths in bowls, or on a cornmeal dusted baking sheet.
Chill 12-18 hours.

---after 12-18 hours---

De-chill / proof 2-3 hours at 68-74°F.  Uncover, slash 3 times 1/2" deep.

---after 2-3 hours---

Bake in hot-ass oven (450°F)
- Spray oven with water, close door.
- Slide loaves in, bake 3 minutes.
- Spray again.  Repeat twice more.
- Bake 10 minutes more (20 minutes total at 450°F)
- Reduce heat to 400°F.
- Bake until internal temperature reads 205°F on thermometer, or the bottom of the bread sounds hollow when thumped.

To have bread on the table at 5 pm on Sunday, start dough between 10 am and 4 pm on Saturday.