Olives
The first cultivation of olives is believed to come from Semitic peoples in the near east. The word 'olive' derives from the Greek, ἐλαίς (elias), which may derive from Agean (ewi--oil). Strangely, this is not an Indo-European root, which suggests the olive was discovered, rather than brought with the Indo-European migrations. The Romans spread the word for olives through Latin (oliva-Italian, olive--French, etc.) Thanks to the Arab invasions of Iberia in the 700's, Spanish and Portuguese have aceitunas and azeitonas as their words for olives. The meaning is the same:
Aceituna=az + zait=the + 'olive' or the + 'oil'
We will use Kalamata olives for the bread. Kalamata olives are cured when the fruit is purple and nearly ripe. The curing technique is washing in water to remove bitterness, followed by lactic acid fermentation in 8% NaCl brine. Kalamata olives have lower sodium and more oil than green Spanish Olives (prepared by leaching bitter compounds in lye, NaOH, followed by brine fermentation). For more information, click here.
Garlic
The desired effect in this bread is to have a Kalamata olive flavor with herb overtones. The garlic should be muted. One way of muting the pungency of garlic is to destroy the alliinase enzyme that converts alliin to allicin, the pungent component. Full cloves were roasted in olive oil sufficient to coat. This also results in some browning as sugars are caramelized. (Strangely, Professor Tung-Hsi Yu, has studied most of the garlic roasting volatile reactions. He is across the street from Johnson & Johnson in Rutgers)
Pre Treatment
Sponge method using very little yeast. The barley malt enzymes in the all purpose flour should break down starches while the small yeast colony grows overnight.
- 400gm King Arthur all purpose unbleached (protein ~10-11%)
- 240gm water at 40C
- much less than 1gm yeast--dust on an espresso spoon
Sponge at start and after 10 hours
Mix the following morning
- 100gm whole clove garlic
- 15cc virgin olive oil
- 100gm pitted kalamata olives, chopped (100% of garlic weight)
- Oregano to taste
- Herbes de Provence to taste
- About 15gm white wine vinegar (15% of garlic weight)
Chop the garlic and toss with the olives, spices and vinegar. Let stand.
Garlic after 10 minutes; it should chop with a sticky consistency
Mixing
The sponge will be divided in two to make a plain pizza dough and olive-garlic bread.
Plain Dough
To make 1kg:
To make 1.6kg of dough (without filling)
- Use 240gm sponge (about 25% total weight)
- 285 gm additional water at 40C
- 475 gm KA all-purpose flour
- 13gm salt (~2% of flour weight)
Olive-garlic dough
To make 1.6kg of dough (without filling)
- Use 400gm sponge (about 25% total weight)
- 450 gm additional water at 40C
- 10gm melao mixed in water
- ~2gm yeast--a little more dust on the spoon.
- 750 gm KA all purpose flour
- 20 gm salt
Mix water, melao and yeast and mix with sponge for 20 minutes. There will be little activity.
(Please note--dry yeast has best activity when rehydrated at 35-40C as water of this temperature will protect the dehydrated yeast cell walls. For a brief treatment of the lipid cell wall interface versus water temperature see Lallemand Inc. yeast technology.)
Mix salt to dissolve. Then add flour and mix on second speed to farinograph recommendations: 9 minutes.
Special Mixing Note
Vegetables and oil can reduce the binding strength of gluten in dough so these are added after mechanical mixing. This is accomplished by stretching the newly mixed dough on the bench and folding the garlic-olive mixture into the sheeted dough. The folded dough is manually kneaded. This will have portions of the mixture breaking out of the dough ball in the early stages. Keep the bench floured and continue working manually until the mixture is well incorporated into the bread.
Rising and forming
Both doughs were left to rise in a 40C proofer through two knockdowns. (This dough has very little yeast.) First knockdown was after 90 minutes; development was slow. Second knockdown was after 60 minutes.
Garlic-olive loaves were divided into two 800gm loaves. The pizza dough was made into 5 200gm boules.
The garlic-olive bread is left to rise in improvised banetton baskets made from stainless steel bowls lined with linen. Rising time is about 50 minutes. At the end of rising, their bases are floured and placed on a wood peel for the oven.
Linen lining, newly formed dough (800gm each), rising
After rising and in the oven
(Please note--dry yeast has best activity when rehydrated at 35-40C as water of this temperature will protect the dehydrated yeast cell walls. For a brief treatment of the lipid cell wall interface versus water temperature see Lallemand Inc. yeast technology.)
Mix salt to dissolve. Then add flour and mix on second speed to farinograph recommendations: 9 minutes.
Special Mixing Note
Vegetables and oil can reduce the binding strength of gluten in dough so these are added after mechanical mixing. This is accomplished by stretching the newly mixed dough on the bench and folding the garlic-olive mixture into the sheeted dough. The folded dough is manually kneaded. This will have portions of the mixture breaking out of the dough ball in the early stages. Keep the bench floured and continue working manually until the mixture is well incorporated into the bread.
Stretch dough and spread with olives and garlic
After first folding, then when fully incorporated
After first folding, then when fully incorporated
Rising and forming
Both doughs were left to rise in a 40C proofer through two knockdowns. (This dough has very little yeast.) First knockdown was after 90 minutes; development was slow. Second knockdown was after 60 minutes.
Garlic-olive loaves were divided into two 800gm loaves. The pizza dough was made into 5 200gm boules.
The garlic-olive bread is left to rise in improvised banetton baskets made from stainless steel bowls lined with linen. Rising time is about 50 minutes. At the end of rising, their bases are floured and placed on a wood peel for the oven.
Linen lining, newly formed dough (800gm each), rising
Baking
Oven at 220C, soaked for at least 45 minutes. This temperature is lower than usual for the oven and is intended to allow the olive-garlic bread to be dryer than usual. Bake 45 minutes then left to cool in oven with door open for an additional 20 minutes.
Oven at 220C, soaked for at least 45 minutes. This temperature is lower than usual for the oven and is intended to allow the olive-garlic bread to be dryer than usual. Bake 45 minutes then left to cool in oven with door open for an additional 20 minutes.
After rising and in the oven
Pizza
The pizza was simply prepared with tomato sauce and brined onions (onions brined in 3% salt w/w H2O + 3% brown sugar w/w H2O. Some garlic slices added to brine). Onions rinsed from brine and tossed with virgin olive oil prior to baking. Cheese is cacio romano.
Finished Products and comments:
The pizza was simply prepared with tomato sauce and brined onions (onions brined in 3% salt w/w H2O + 3% brown sugar w/w H2O. Some garlic slices added to brine). Onions rinsed from brine and tossed with virgin olive oil prior to baking. Cheese is cacio romano.
Finished Products and comments:
Olive-garlic bread developed good crumb with 1-3mm bubbles. Bread is aromatic, principally of olives and fines herbes, with garlic flavor in the background. A very good bread for dipping in oil.
Improvements:
Improvements:
- This could use a stronger flour (12% protein) for a lighter crumb.
- Olives and garlic add additional moisture to the dough that is released when baking
- Pizza crust was excellent. Nutty flavor.
start of mix 
+ 2 minutes
+4 minutes
+ 6 minutes
