rosemary olive peasant bread

so, if you have been reading this blog for a while now you already know that i love bread!

in the summer it is waaaay to hot to bake bread, plus my local farmers market and csa supports my bread addiction during the summer months so i kindly allow them to heat up their kitchen to support my habit -

i am so nice aren't i?

but once the cooler months move in i start to get that bread making itch.

i love everything about the bread making process - the yeast, the kneading, the rising, the baking and of course the eating!

the greatest thing about making your own bread is the creativity and control.

you get to decide what goes in and what style loaf you want to create.

the possibilities are endless.

as you can clearly see i had a craving for a rosemary olive loaf - the salty briness of the olives with the woody earthy rosemary had my mouthwatering before i even popped these beauties in the oven to bake.

bread making is relatively easy- as i have said a million times over the more you do it, the better feel you have for the process and soon enough you will find yourself not over thinking the process.

my mom shares the same bread addiction- as does my aunts, one of which who actually gave away her bread making machine because she would end up eating the entire warm loaf in a day.

so anytime i make a double batch of bread i bring the extra loaf to my mom, who more than gladly accepts.

my favorite part of the process is the kneading. for me it is one of the most soothing activities - my mind clears and i simply focus on the task at hand, typically with a good pandora station rambling on in the background. a few simple ingredient will yield you something incredible, tasty and not to mention much less expensive than any store bought "artisan bread" unless that is if it was purchased from your lovely local baker/bread maker.

do you make your own bread - if so, do you take the warmer months off?

Rosemary Olive Peasant Bread
yields 2 loaves

you will need

1 1/2 cups warm water - 120*
1 tbsp yeast
5 - 6 cups organic white & spelt flour (i used a mix)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp rosemary - finely minced

olives pitted & roughly chopped- 1/2 cup green & 1/2 cup kalmata

2 tsp salt

assembly:
in a large bowl sprinkle yeast over warm water - let sit until bubbly & frothy, about 10 minutes
with a wooden spoon stir in 4 cups flour, salt, olive oil & olives until dough forms a wet loose ball.
turn dough onto a well floured surface - using a 1/2 cup at a time need in remaining dough, re flour the surface as needed to prevent sticking. continue kneading in flour until dough forms a smooth elastic ball 
8-10 minutes
( you may only need 5 or 5 1/2 cups, just continue kneading more flour until dough becomes smooth and doesn't stick to your hands or surface)

in a medium bowl greased with olive oil turn dough into bowl and flip around once so top and bottom are coated with olive oil. cover and place in a warm area free from drafts and allow to rise until double in size - about 1 hour.

after first rise, punch dough down and allow to rest, covered for 10 minutes.

on a lightly floured work surface turn dough onto surface and divide into 2 equal pieces.
shape each piece of dough into a rough circle - place a parchment lined baking sheet, cover and allow to rise of for 40 minutes - lightly dust tops with flour. with a sharp knife cut three slits into the top of each dough ball.

bake bread in a 425* pre heated oven for 15-17 minutes - until bottoms are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.

remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes prior to slicing.

enjoy!