Ingredients
Dough
- 375 g (about 1 1/2 cups) room temperature water
- 12 g (2.5 teaspoons) salt
- 100 g (1/2 cup) bubbly, active sourdough starter
- 500 g (4 cups plus 2 tbsp) bread flour
Add-ins and Finish
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling and lightly oiling work surfaces
- 5 ounces pitted olives (a mix of Castelvetrano and Kalamata), sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
Instructions
- Make the dough: Place water in a large bowl. Stir in salt, then the sourdough starter with a spatula until partly incorporated. Add the bread flour and mix until a sticky dough forms. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and fold: With a wet hand, grab a corner of the dough and pull it into the center, repeating 8-10 times to smooth and develop elasticity. Slap and fold if necessary. Cover and rest for 1 hour.
- Laminate the dough: Lightly oil a large work surface. Drizzle olive oil around the dough’s edge in the bowl and use a bench scraper or hands to transfer dough to the surface. Flatten into a 15×20-inch rectangle. Spread half the olives and rosemary over dough, pressing gently. Fold dough envelope-style starting from right shorter edge, then again from the top edge after sprinkling remaining olives and rosemary. Return dough bundle to bowl, cover, rest 1 hour.
- Final stretch and fold: With two wet hands, gently lift the dough from the center to stretch it, letting edges fold underneath. Fold dough in half once or twice more to form a rough ball shape.
- Bulk fermentation (first rise): Transfer dough to a straight-sided container, cover, and let rise at room temperature until volume increases by 50-75% with surface bubbles and jiggle, 5-10 hours depending on conditions.
- Shape and rest: Turn dough onto a clean work surface. Shape into a round by folding and turning repeatedly to build surface tension. Use a bench scraper if available. Lightly flour surface if needed and rest dough seam side up for 30-60 minutes.
- Proof the dough: Line a 10-inch banneton with a flour sack towel dusted with flour or rice flour. Reshape dough into a round again and place seam side up in the banneton. Pinch seam closed lightly. Cover with towel, place in an airtight bag, and refrigerate for 24-48 hours.
- Prepare the oven: 45 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 450°F with a Dutch oven inside. Cut parchment paper to size to fit loaf.
- Score: Remove dough from fridge, unwrap towel, place parchment over dough and invert banneton to release dough onto parchment. Use a sharp knife or razor to score the dough.
- Bake: Carefully transfer dough with parchment into the preheated Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid, reduce oven to 400°F, and bake 10-15 minutes more until the loaf is deeply browned. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before slicing.
- Store the bread: Store at room temperature up to 3 days in an airtight container or plastic bag. Freezes well for longer storage.
Notes
- The salt amount can be adjusted depending on taste; 12 g is the recommended standard.
- An active, bubbly sourdough starter is crucial for proper fermentation—feed starter 4-6 hours before using.
- If using a banneton without a towel, dust it with rice flour to prevent sticking.
- Use a bench scraper for easier dough handling but hands work fine if not available.
- Oven temperature and baking time may vary slightly depending on equipment; check for a deep brown crust and hollow sound when tapped.
- This dough benefits from long fermentation for flavor development, patience is key.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes active, plus intermittent resting/stretching for total around 2 hours
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-inspired
- Diet: Vegetarian
