Olive Bread

Note by Phyllis Brown:  Ritchey has worked very hard this weekend on another Relay for Life project – the food booth for a demolition derby.  Saturday he’s up at 6 a.m., collects food, tents, coolers, etc., that he needs, sets up, cooks and runs the food booth till 4:00 a.m.  Comes home for a few hours sleep, then it’s return all the borrowed items, pay for the food and clean up at the fairgrounds – he got in at 7:00 p.m. Sunday.  I’ve made some of his favorite things for him – Olive Bread – made with luscious kalamata olives – and Cannellini Beans with Garlic and Sage – tomorrow’s blog!  The house smells so good – and the taste is even better!  There will be sliced tomatoes fresh from the vine and some of my sister’s fresh turkey!  What could get better than that!  By the way – the food booth made $1800 for The American Cancer Society.  That does not include ticket sales.  Usually the total is about $10,000.

Olive Bread

• 8 cups flour
• 1 package dry yeast
• 3 teaspoons sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
• 2 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 cup kalamata olives, roughly chopped

Put the flour, yeast, 2 tablespoons of the sesame seeds, salt and oregano in a large bowl and mix.  Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and, using a wooden spoon, gradually add the water to form a firm dough.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes, until smooth.  Put dough in a large, greased bowl, turning greased side up.  Cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place for about an hour, until doubled in size.

Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead lightly to knock out the air, then knead in the olives.  Divide the dough into 2 pieces, and shape each piece into a round loaf..  Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet, cover with a clean towel.  Set in a warm place for about 30 minutes, until doubled in size.

Using a sharp knife, make slashes across the top of each loaf then lightly brush with olive oil.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake in a preheated oven, 425 degrees, for 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 375 degrees and bake an additional 25 minutes.  The bread should be a lovely brown color and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.  Cool on a wire rack.  Enjoy!

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