Olive and Feta Bread

I wasn't planning to make this into a post.  I wasn't planning to make bread at all.  Then the loaf at the bakery section was $5.99 and didn't have cheese in it, just rosemary and olives.  Kalamatas and feta were already on my shopping list, and I didn't plan to use all of either in the salad, so making my own bread was the economical option.

As long as I was baking, I made twice as much bread as I needed.  Part of "Cooking for the Future" is making extra and freezing it.  No canning required.  Now I have a four-serving loaf in the freezer for the next time.  This technique works for cookies and pretty much any baked good.  Just make a lot and freeze it.  Granted, having a chest freezer, even a small one like mine, makes this a lot easier.

This is a variation of the olive and feta breadsticks.  I changed up a few of the amounts and it's a bit lighter in consistency, since I was putting it in a pan.

1 C 100º milk
1 Tb olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 tsp honey
1 tsp dry yeast
1 C whole wheat flour
1+ C AP flour
1/2 tsp salt
*2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
*1/3 C chopped kalamata olives
*1/4 C crumbled feta

1.  Stir olive oil, honey and yeast into the warm milk.  Allow to sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.  I used that 5 minutes to finely chop the olives. 

2.  In the stand mixer with the paddle, combine whole wheat flour and the rosemary.  Yes, it sounds like a lot of rosemary, and maybe my taste buds are still a bit dulled by Covid, but I really wanted that much as a counterpoint to the olives.  Add yeast mixture and beat with the paddle into a batter, 2 minutes.

3.  Add 1 cup of AP flour and the salt to the batter and beat into a thick batter/soft dough, about 2 minutes.  Pour out onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.  Flatten dough and work in chopped olives and feta.  The olives are going to make everything gooey, so have more flour on hand.  Once dough has returned to the elastic stage, it's ready for the first rise.

4.  Shape dough into a ball and turn over in a lightly oiled bowl to coat all sides.  Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

5.  Punch down dough and allow to rest 10 minutes.  Form into desired shape. This dough is soft and works best placed in a greased loaf pan or casserole dish.  I used two 6" cake pans.  Allow to rise 45 minutes.

6.  If desired, brush top with a bit more oil and sprinkle with salt and/or more rosemary.  You can also make slashes in the surface for designs.  Bake at 375º for 30 minutes, then check. Top should be browned and it should sound hollow when thumped.  Allow to rest 5 minutes in the pan, then turn out to cool.

Serves 8-10

Difficulty rating :)