No-Knead Olive Bread

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. In second bowl combine dry ingredients and olives. Add mix to the first bowl. Stir until blended. The dough will be shaggy and sticky.

Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rest at least 8 hours, preferably 12 - 18 hours at warm room temperature. The dough is ready when the surface is dotted with bubbles.

Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it. Sprinkle with a little more flour on it and fold it over on itself a couple times. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 10 minutes.

Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface and to your fingers, gently shape the dough into a ball.

Generously coat a dish towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal. Put the ball of dough on the surface of the towel and dust the ball with your choice from the previous sentence. Cover with another towel and let rise for 1-2 hours. When it is ready, the dough will have doubled in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

At least 20 minutes before the dough is ready, pre-heat the oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit (I think that is around 250 C). Put the pot in the oven to heat up.

When the dough is ready and has risen, carefully remove the pot from the oven and lift off the lid. Put the dough in the pot. The dough will lose its shape somewhat in the process, but that’s okay. Center dough in the pot.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes at 250 C. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 15 minutes until the loaf is beautifully browned. Let it cool a bit and enjoy!!

** Any 6-8 Qt. pot, like a dutch oven, cast iron, enameled, pyrex or ceramic, with lid will work.