Greek Olive Bread Recipes

Steps:

• Pour the milk into a glass measure and stir in the yeast until it dissolves. Set aside for 10 minutes.
• In a larger bowl, mix the flour and the salt and then add the milk and the yeast, stirring gently with a wooden spoon to incorporate. At this point, the dough will still be sticky - do not add more flour. Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer equipped with a dough hook.
• Cover the bowl with a towel, place it in a warm spot and let it rise for an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375° F. Place a 12" cast iron skillet in the oven until it is very hot.
• Add the extra virgin olive oil, the chopped olives and the oregano to the bread dough and mix well with a spatula, folding over the dough and scrapping the sides of the bowl, until well incorporated.
• Carefully remove from the oven the hot pan, line it with a piece of parchment paper and immediately add the dough, spreading and smoothing the top with a spatula.
• Transfer the hot pan to the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until it is golden brown on the top and the bottom.
• Remove from the oven and let the bread cool a bit in the pan. Lift the bread from the parchment paper and lace on a wire rack to cool.

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl stir 3 cups of the flour, the yeast, sugar, and salt together.
• Make a hole in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the 2 tablespoons olive oil and the water.
• Stir until all the dry ingredients are moistened.
• Cover and let stand for 15 minutes.
• Sprinkle a work surface with flour.
• Scrape dough out onto the floured surface.
• Dust the top of the dough with flour.
• Knead until the dough is smooth and develops small bubbles just under the surface, about 5 minutes, adding more flour if the dough gets sticky.
• Place in a clean, greased bowl, turning to grease all over.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch down the dough and pat it into a ½ inch thick circle.
• Sprinkle with the olives and cheese.
• Knead the dough lightly to incorporate the ingredients, then shape into a ball.
• Pat out to make a circle 8 inches in diameter.
• Place on a greased baking sheet.
• With a 3-inch round cutter, cut a circle in the center but leave the round of dough in place.
• (You can bake the removed center alongside the bread; it will probably cook faster than the circular loaf.) Brush the dough with the 2 teaspoons of oil.
• Cover and let rise until puffy, 30 to 45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 F.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until the crust is a rich golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
• Cool the bread on a wire rack before slicing.
• Makes 1 round loaf.
• Beatrice Ojakangas Baking Book.

Steps:

• Sprinkle yeast over water in a large bowl.
• Let stand until soft, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Stir in milk, sugar, salt and 4 t. of the oil.
• Add 1C flour; mix to blend.
• Stir in 1 1/2C more flour and beat until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in 1/2C more flour to make a stiff dough.
• Turn onto floured surface.
• Knead until dough is smooth and develops small bubbles just under the surface, about 15 minutes.
• Place in greased bowl, turning to grease all over.
• Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Punch dough down and pat into a 1/2-inch circle.
• Sprinkle with olives and cheese.
• Knead and fold lightly into dough, then shape into a ball.
• Pat out to an 8-inch circle.
• Place on greased baking sheet.
• With a 3 to 4 - inch cutter or empty tuna can, cut a circle in center, leaving round of dough in place.
• Brush dough with remaining 2 t. oil.
• Let rise until puffy, 30 to 45 minutes.
• Brush with egg yolk mixture.
• Bake at 375 degrees about 30 minutes until crust is a rich golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
• Cool on a rack before slicing.
• Enjoy!