posts may contain Amazon affiliate links, which earn me a small commission when you buy (but doesn't cost you anything extra). Occasionally I receive free products and/or run sponsored posts—this will always be stated clearly in the post. Thank you for supporting this blog.

This website contains some quotations, excerpts, and screen clips from copyrighted material. These uses fall well within the copyright doctrine of "Fair Use".
Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Spicy Kalamata Sourdough Loaf

Even though my kitchen winds up being like 1000° when I bake something lately,  I just can't help myself sometimes.  The name alone was enough to convince me that I needed to try this loaf of bread.  I wish that I had a smaller brotform (or that I had used a bowl instead) so that I would've ended up with a rounder, taller loaf...but really that's just aesthetics...because this loaf does not lack at all for flavor.  It's the kind of loaf you want to wrap up and tuck into a picnic basket with a bottle of wine, some thinly sliced ham, a few hunks of cheese, and a bottle of chilled white wine.  Now if you'll excuse me, my blanket is getting heavy...I'm heading off to sit under a shady tree.  Just me and my picnic basket.
SPICY KALAMATA SOURDOUGH
adapted ever-so-slightly from the Bewitching Kitchen
makes 1 loaf

200g (200 ml) water at room temperature
142g sourdough starter (at 100% hydration)
¼ tsp. instant yeast
280g bread flour + more as needed
85g dark rye flour
9 g salt
¾ c. (~80 g) kalamata olives, halved
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 Tbs. fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
2 Tbs. fresh oregano leaves, chopped

Dissolve the starter and the instant yeast in the water in a large bowl. Add the flour, mix to incorporate (or use a mixer w/ dough attachment on low speed), then cover with a plastic wrap and allow it to sit for 20 minutes.

Sprinkle the salt on top, and gently knead it in for a few minutes.

Once the salt is incorporated, add the olives, red pepper, rosemary, and oregano and knead by hand (or with the mixer at low speed).

Let the dough rise for 3 hours, kneading quickly three different times...once every 45 minutes or so.

Shape the dough into a round, place in a banetton/brotform or a bowl lined with well-floured linen with the seam up. I imagine you could free-form it, too if need be.  Let rise until almost doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 450° F during last 20 minutes or so of rise time.  Place a baking stone on middle shelf.

Slide into oven and spray with a mist of water, then close the oven door. Bake for 30 minutes, then lower the temperature to 425° F for another 20 minutes or until done.

Remove to a rack to cool.
This may not seem like a lot of spice...but it packs a lot of heat!  It's salty and sour and spicy all at once.  And extremely addicting.  I like as-is or toasted or as the bread on a sandwich.  I probably at half of the loaf toasted and spread with a layer of cream cheese with a big dollop of Tomato Jam...which I got from the super cool Meredith from Anchovies and Butter (along with a jar each of Peach Jelly, Apple Cranberry Jelly, and New Mexico Pepper Jelly...awesome!  Thanks Meredith☺).

I am sharing this post with:
BBD #42: Bread for a Picnic
*Yeastspotting!
BYOB-badge breadbakingday42 wanderfood-badge thesechickscookfeaturingmyrecipes Cast Party Wednesday

Would you like to comment?

  1. Amazing looking bread - I love the idea of the olives and the spice. I have yet to try my hand at sourdough bread, and I still have a few weeks of upheaval ahead of me yet before we are finally settled into our own. But once that happens making a starter is at the top of list. Second on my list is now making this bread - thanks for sharing it :-)
    Sue xo

    ReplyDelete
  2. Olive bread... my favorite. I also love cream cheese + jam on fresh bread. Tomato jam sounds like the perfect accompaniment here!

    ReplyDelete
  3. That's a gorgeous loaf of bread, and the idea of cream cheese and tomato jam spread on it also tempts me to heat up my kitchen! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sure looks fantastic. I am keeping this for cooler days; pretty hot these days.
    Rita

    ReplyDelete
  5. I wouldn't be able to be trusted alone in a room with that loaf.

    ReplyDelete
  6. this is so picnic bread, lol I had to bake cookies really early this morning, cause girl my kitchen gets HOT!! lovely loaf.


    ps-finally got your feed, I tried three times it kept sending me "error", LOL

    ReplyDelete
  7. I definitely have a tendency to just turn the AC up if I want to bake and think nothing of it. This loaf sounds totally worth it!

    ReplyDelete
  8. wow your picnics rock what a lovely loaf of bread

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thats a wonderful loaf of bread...

    ReplyDelete
  10. What an amazing bread for a picnic!
    Thanks a lot for participating, I'm so happy hosting!
    How many changes on your website, it looks so great!
    Cheers,
    Palmira

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh, this sounds great to me! There's nothing like a good loaf of bread!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Note to self: Get a sourdough starter together. Then I can make this happen. Love it!

    ReplyDelete
  13. If I could bake a beautiful loaf like that I would be a very happy person. Love the kalamata olives and red pepper flakes.

    ReplyDelete
  14. That is some fine lookin bread! I love Kalamatta olives the most and tucj them in some bread,woohoo! Oh and rosemary has been my favorite herb in the kitchen this summer,it's great to use in canning too. You have made my week,so happy you loved all the goodies. (Big smile) That bread and the cream cheese make that tomato jam shine. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  15. You are brave to bake bread! I cooked everything outside today to keep from roasting to death. Looks delicious though, I will have to try it and suffer through the heat! :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. You are really baking lately! This bread looks fantastic and has me wondering if it leans towards being spicy at all with the red pepper flakes. Hmmm...

    ReplyDelete
  17. I love olive bread. What a great twist on flavor!

    ReplyDelete
  18. We have got to make our starter. We have just been putting it off but I am craving sourdough now.

    Ah yes, the 1000f kitchen. That's why Alexis' Big Green Egg is so great, she can bake in the summer outside! :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Homemade fresh bread is my weakness...I would eat the whole loaf with some fresh butter and homemade jam.

    That is one gorgeous looking loaf of bread.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thanks for the link to the Bewitching! So glad you tried the bread and enjoyed it!

    I must make it again, I'm thinking of adding some feta cheese to the same basic recipe next time, just for a change

    Gorgeous loaf you baked!

    ReplyDelete
  21. @SallyBR...Oh, I was thinking feta, too...that would be the perfect addition. Thanks for the amazing recipe and inspiration =)

    ReplyDelete
  22. Absolutely wonderful! Sourdough + kalamata olives = I am in love!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Thank you so much for stopping by Cast Party Wednesday last week. I really appreciate you sharing your recipe with us. I hope you will join us again for another awesome party filled with yummy recipes.
    Thanks Again!

    ReplyDelete