Italian Olive and Oregano Bread aka Pane alle Olive ed Origano

I did take a break from bread baking.

Juicy black olives, oregano and parsley.

Life got too overwhelming meeting 3 deadlines at work; and then having to juggle daily chores and pretending to be mom to 5  4 kids. Nervous energy got the better of me one Sunday and instead of taking a breather to sit-and-read, my restless self figured that baking could be equally relaxing.

Add bread flour, chopped up olives, oregano, parsley and fried onions. 

So, I dug out my Italian Cookbook bible which was essentially my very first cookbook that coaxed me out of my comfort shell to try beyond baking chicken wings and boiling 3-minute noodles. In the days before the magnificent 'Google' and recipe blogs, I depended on this thigh-bruising heavy weight of a cookbook. It had step-by-step pictures which were very handy for an idiot of a newbie cook such as myself. And it seemed as if every recipe that I re-created was always warmly received by the hubs. Sure, he could have been wisely encouraging and had the self-preservation to know better than to be critical. After all, I could also do very evil things to food and there was always the option of performing an Aussie-style union strike. He would understand that. 

Dough after 2nd rising, ready for the oven. 

I must have been tired of baby steps and only having baked biscuits and a no-fail banana bread, I decided that I was ready to cartwheel past pizza dough and dinner rolls to try my hand at creating an equally lovely fattened Olive bread. The recipe didn't look too daunting; the pictures were like sea sirens taunting me to take the plunge. Mesmerized, I dived right in and in a much smaller kitchen and a less superior oven back then; I worked my way through the recipe with zero intuition for what dough should feel/look like. Despite the blind efforts, the result wasn't a disaster. 

Out from the oven and resting.

These days, I can't claim to be a newbie at bread making. Dough, once treated with hesitation, no longer scares me; I laugh in its pasty face as I fearlessly knead it into shape and keep a close watch on its rising.

Serve with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. 

It wasn't a disaster the 2nd time around either even if it has been 10 years since my first attempt. That night, my picky eaters enjoyed the freshly baked olive bread slices with homemade spicy sausage, potato and kale soup.

The hums and satisfying slurps were all the assurance I needed.



From The Italian Cooking Encyclopedia

This makes an excellent accompaniment to salads and soups and is particularly good served warm with a chunk of cheese.

Ingredients:

1/ 1/4 cups warm water

1 tsp active dried yeast

pinch of sugar

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 cups strong flour

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly pitted black olives, coarsely chopped

1 tbsp black olive paste

1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley




1. Put half of the warm water in a measuring cup. Sprinkle the yeast on top. Add the sugar , mix well and allow to stand for 10 minutes.

2. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onion over medium heat until golden brown.

3. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl with the salt and pepper. Make a well in the center. Add the yeast mixture, the fried onion, the olives, olive paste, herbs and the remaining water. Gradually incorporate the flour and mix to a soft dough, adding a little extra water if necessary.

4. Turn out the dough onto a floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a mixing bowl, cover with a damp dish towel and leave in a warm place to rise for about 2 hours until doubled in bulk. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

5. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead again for a few minutes. Shape into an 8 inch. round and place on the prepared baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, make criss-cross cuts over the top. Cover and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes until well risen. Preheat the oven to 425 deg. F.

6. Dust the loaf with a little flour. Bake for 10 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 400 deg F. Bake for 20 minutes more or until the loaf sounds hollow when it is tapped underneath. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving.