When it comes to kalamata olives, fresh rosemary, and garlic – well – how can you really go wrong? And when they are baked into a beautiful sourdough boule (round loaf), there is just no finer way to display this incredible threesome. They are simply simpatico ingredients.

The first time I paired kalamata olives and rosemary together in a bread recipe was about 6 years ago. This bread is very similar with one important exception. Rosemary Olive Bread is leavened with a package of active dry yeast. This recipe calls for a cup of sourdough starter. And therefore has a lovely “tang” to it.

This recipe also includes a bit of garlic and some black pepper. (Got to change things up a bit to keep Mr. C. riveted!) Well anyway, to make a short story long, I wanted to use some of my CSS (Coronavirus Sourdough Starter) (or Renee as “she’s” affectionately referred to here at Chez Carr) in the production of yet another bread that most of you will never build. (Why some of you even bother to read my posts is beyond my understanding. But I am mighty glad you come along for the ride.) Anyway……..

If you have nothing better to do with your time, have all the ingredients, and love bread, give this delicious combination of ingredients a try. For lunch yesterday I toasted a piece of this bread and placed a thin slice of Black Forrest ham on top. What an amazing and simple open faced sandwich that made! I’m still reeling from the fabulous flavor combination.

So to all of you who like myself, believe that the act of baking bread is almost sacrosanct, I implore you to give this recipe a try. Of course, if you are not an olive lover, or abhor rosemary, or God forbid, can’t abide garlic – well – you may be excused! The rest of you – get busy. This bread is worth the effort.

And just because I usually bake this type of bread in a clay baker when others use an old fashioned cast iron Dutch oven, I decided to buy a 5 quart cast iron Dutch oven to see how well it actually worked. The result was just the same as when I use my clay baker. Beautiful crust, lovely crumb, and fabulous curb appeal.

So if you have been storing a “heritage” Dutch oven out in your garage or even out in your tool shed, now’s the time to dig it out. (You might want to clean it up a bit before you use it again.) But if it’s at least a 5 quart, it would be perfect for this recipe. Or most other bread recipes that call for a clay baker or Dutch oven. And isn’t it fun to “re-purpose” something that might even have sentimental value. Could have been given to you by your grandmother, or even passed down to her from her grandmother. I know the Dutch oven I have downstairs in my storage room that was handed down to me by my parents, is as old as the hills. Not large enough for the purpose of baking bread, but I wouldn’t part with it for any amount of money.

So to all, have fun in the kitchen. If you have never baked bread, now is the time to give it a try. If prehistoric humans could “bake” a gruel made from grain and water on a hot rock 30,000 years ago, you should be able to mix some flour, water, yeast, and salt together in your KitchenAid mixer and throw it in your perfectly heat controlled oven with fairly predictable results. Just sayin’!

As always, peace and love to all. And keep your sense of humor. Laughter is strong medicine. It helps protect all of us from the damaging effects of undue stress. And stress is the number one feeling of emotion most of us are experiencing right now. So fight back. If nothing else, go make a face at yourself in your bathroom mirror. A funny face, along with how your normally perfectly quaffed hair looks right now should do the trick. No wait! That could lead to tears. Never mind. Bad idea.

1 c. sourdough starter   

3 c. bread flour, plus more as needed   

1 c. lukewarm water

1 T. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for bowl

1 tsp. kosher salt   

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 T. finely chopped fresh rosemary

¾ c. roughly chopped Kalamata olives

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix the sourdough starter, 2 cups of the flour, water, and olive oil together. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 4 hours.

Add the remaining cup of  flour to the mixer bowl along with the salt, pepper, rosemary, chopped olives, and garlic.   

Knead till the dough comes together. If your dough looks wet, add more bread flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Your dough should be slightly sticky but not wet. Continue to knead on medium speed for five minutes.

Pour a bit of olive oil over the dough, and using your hands roll it into a ball evenly covered with the oil.  Cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm spot for two hours. The dough will rise a little, but it may not double. Punch down the dough and shape into a boule (round).

Cover a cookie sheet with a rectangle of parchment paper, and place the loaf on the parchment. Dust with a bit of flour and cover with a tea towel. Place in a warm spot for an hour.

In the last half hour of rising, preheat your oven to 450 degrees. If you have a baking stone, pizza stone, clay baker, or Dutch oven, place it in the middle rack of the oven. You want it to heat right along with the oven.

Five minutes before you place your loaf in the oven, pour a cup of hot water into an oven-safe pan and place it on the lowest rack of the oven. Please note: If you are using a clay baker (bread cloche) or Dutch oven, no need to place container with water in your oven.

Take a very sharp or serrated knife and score the loaf carefully, making a large X.  Don’t use too much force or you will deflate the bread. Just let the weight of the knife do the work.

Carefully pick up the parchment sheet and place the loaf directly on the baking stone or pizza stone. If you don’t have a baking stone or pizza stone, simply place the cookie sheet with the loaf into the middle rack of the oven.

If you are using a clay baker or Dutch oven, remove from the oven. Carefully take off the lid. Set the loaf complete with parchment paper onto or into the bottom and cover with the lid. (A trick I use to make lifting my clay baker in and out of the oven, is to place it on a low sided baking sheet before it ever goes into the oven. It’s much easier to lift a baking sheet than a clay baker. Much less likely to burn yourself.)

If using a baking stone, pizza stone, or a plain baking sheet, bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees, then lower the temperature to 350 and continue baking for another 45 minutes or so. The internal temperature should be about 204 degrees. Remove from oven and let the bread cool on a rack before slicing.

If using a clay baker or Dutch oven, bake covered in the 450 degree oven for 25 minutes. Remove the lid (very carefully) and continue to bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches about 204 degrees. Remove from oven and let the bread cool on a rack before slicing.