Name: Olive and Cheese Loaf
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 16 h
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface; 1 teaspoon sea salt; ¾ teaspoons instant or active-dry yeast; 1 ¾ cups provolone, shredded; 1 cup DeLallo Pitted California Sevillano Olives Cup, halved; 1 cup DeLalloJumbo Seasoned Pitted Calamata Olives, halved; 1 ½ cups cool water (55 to 65 degrees), plus more as needed

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface

1 teaspoon sea salt

¾ teaspoons instant or active-dry yeast

1 ¾ cups provolone, shredded

1 cup DeLallo Pitted California Sevillano Olives Cup, halved

1 cup DeLalloJumbo Seasoned Pitted Calamata Olives, halved

1 ½ cups cool water (55 to 65 degrees), plus more as needed

Directions

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, salt, and yeast. Add cheese and olives. Then add water.

Using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until a wet, sticky dough forms, adding additional water 1 tablespoon at a time if needed.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it stand at room temperature until the dough has doubled in size and the surface becomes dotted with bubbles, approximately 12-18 hours.

After the dough rises, generously flour your work surface and scrape the dough onto the surface. Lightly flour your hands, a bowl scraper, or a spatula, and lift the edges of the dough toward the center. Push and tuck the edges of the dough to make a round loaf.

Place a piece of parchment paper on the work surface and generously dust it with flour. Gently place dough on parchment, seam-side down. If dough is tacky, lightly dust the top with flour.

Cover the dough loosely with wax paper and two clean kitchen towels. Let the dough stand in a warm, draft-free spot until almost doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.

Gently poke the dough with your finger; it should hold the impression. If it springs back, let it rise 15 minutes more.

When the dough has finished rising, place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat it to 475°F.

Place the dough in a 9”x5” loaf pan with the seam-side up, cover with parchment paper and bake for 25 minutes.

Uncover and continue baking until the bread is dark brown but not burnt, 15 to 30 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack to cool before serving.