Olive Pot Bread

Method

1. In a large bowl, add flour, yeast and salt. Make a well in the middle.
2. Add the olive oil and then the water bit by bit to form a dough ball. (It shouldn’t be too dry or too sticky, so add more or less water as needed.)
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add some more flour if it’s too sticky.
4. Grease a medium cast-iron pot with olive oil.
5. Place the dough in the middle of the pot and press the olives into the dough.
6. Drizzle the bread with olive oil and sprinkle with some salt.
7. Cover it with a cloth or plastic wrap and place in a warm place until it doubles in size.
8. Preheat oven to 180°C.
9. Remove the cloth or plastic wrap and bake for 45 – 60 minutes, until golden and it sounds hollow when tapped.
10. Remove from the oven and leave the bread in the pot for 10 minutes to set.
11. Remove the bread from the pot and place on a cooling rack to cool.
12. Sprinkle with fresh rosemary and serve with butter.

TIPS:

• If you have a stand mixer you can ‘knead’ the dough using the dough hook attachment on medium high speed.
• Add some sun-dried tomatoes and feta to the dough for a Mediterranean twist.
• This pot bread can also be baked on the fire if you have a cast iron pot with a lid.