Bread made with olive oil

To Bella and Tasha. This is the recipe for white bread, made with olive oil.

Ingredients

500 g of white extra strong bread flour
About 300 – 320 g of water
1 tsp of easy bake yeast
3 table spoons of olive oil
1 tsp of salt

Use the best and ‘strongest’ flour  e.g. Waitrose Canadian bread flour

Method

Do you have a magi mix? If so, put all the ingredients in the magi mix, set up with a metal blade (or dough hook).

Combine the ingredients.
The dough will be quite sticky to start with. 

Process (to knead)  for 1 minute.
It will warm up with the motion. The dough changes as it is kneaded, becoming smoother and more flexible. It should come away from the sides easily.

If you don’t have a food processor, knead by hand for 10 minutes.

Use a spatula to ease the dough into a spacious bowl. Cover the top of the bowl with cling film (use oiled cling film if touches the dough)

Leave to rise for 1.5 hours
It likes a warm place. You can also leave it overnight. When the dough is double the size, fold the dough in on itself using the spatula and a little extra flour to make a neat ball.

Grease a baking tray &  pre heat the oven to 230 C degrees.

Tip. Sprinkle polenta on the greased baking tray or use a piece of reusable silicon baking paper to stop it sticking.

For a Pizza

Press down the dough to make a pizza base (like we did). Cover with tomato sauce and mozzarella.

Bake at the top of the oven for about 20 mins, checking to see how it is going. It slides off the tray when it is cooked.

For Focaccia.

Press the dough down so it is  3 cm thick. Cover with oiled cling film.

Leave to rise for a second time.
It takes about 1.5 hours.

Tip. If you want the dough to rise more quickly put a hot water bottle under the tray.

Pre heat the oven to about 230 C . i.e. a hot oven. Every oven is different so you may have to experiment.

Punch a few holes in the doubled dough with your fingers or the end of a wooded spoon. Drizzle olive oil over the dough over so it pools in the holes. Sprinkle with salt. and add a sprig of rosemary, olives or cherry tomatoes.

Bake for 20 mins
You may have to check after about ten minutes as every oven is different. When bread is ready, you can wrap it with your knuckles underneath and it should sound hollow. It’s hot though, so this is not easy.

Cool on a wire wrack.
The bread is still cooking as it cools.