Tuesday 3 December 2013

Kalamata Olive Bread

In my world there are olives, and then there are Olives. Geographically speaking, I tend to find that I prefer the taste of Italian Olive Oil over others, but when it comes to Olives my all time favourite is Greek: Kalamata Olives.

from that ever useful place that is Wikipedia:

Kalamata olives have PDO status in the European Union, meaning that only olives originating from Kalamata can be sold as Kalamata olives. Kalamata olives are named after the city of Kalamata in Messenia, southern Greece, near where they are grown. They are also grown in nearby Laconia. They are an almond-shaped, plump, dark purple olive, from a tree distinguished from the common olive by the size of its leaves, which grow to twice the size of other olive varieties. Kalamata olives cannot be harvested green, and must be hand-picked in order to avoid bruising.

So, the bread of choice today is Kalamata Olive Bread. First up is de-pitting the olives: quick to do using the flat side of a wide kitchen knife.

de-pitting Kalamata Olives: time well spent.

The dough I have used is the same pizza/ciabatta dough from my previous post, only after proving for the first hour all the olives are added in & the dough kneaded for a minute for being shaped & left for it's second prove.

After the first hours prove Ciabatta dough is lovely to handle. It's very wet to make though.

This loaf needed about 25 mins in the oven at 200 degrees.

Lazily shaped loaf. 

Bursting with flavour.

more olives next time.

I added about half a jar of olives as the other half had gone on Pizza. If I was doing this again I'd add a whole jar & get the bread more olive-y. 

Good, but needs more olives. 

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