This is my go to bread. It’s so tasty and refreshing. Olive oil is the secret ingredients here, so make sure you add a good quality and fruity one. Also make sure you get the salt right…I usually add 2 teaspoons. It will depend on the salt you use.
Richard Bertinet's Olive Oil Bread
Original Recipe: Dough: simple contemporay Bread by Richard Bertinet
Preparation time: 20 minutes; Resting time: 2 hours; Baking time: 30 minutes; Makes: two 8 x 4 inch (20 x 10cm) or 2 x 450g (1Ib) loaves
Ingredients for Richard Bertinet’s Olive Oil Bread
- 625g (22oz, 5 cups) white bread flour
- 2½ tablespoons coarse semolina
- 15g fresh yeast or 1¾ teaspoons instant yeast or 1 envelope active dry yeast
- 1½-2½ teaspoons fine salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional, not really necessary)
- 6 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil
- 400g (1½ cups + 3 tablespoons) lukewarm water
Point to note: I have baked this bread at least 30 times. The measurement that works best is 400g water. Cup measures can vary by 20-30ml depending on how you fill the cup.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 475ºF (250ºC) ten minutes before using. Grease two 8 x 4 inch (20 x 10cm) loaf pans and set aside.
- Make Richard Bertinet’s Olive Oil Dough, by hand (steps 3 and 4) or in a mixer (step 5) and let the dough rest for 1 hour (step 6).
- Moulding and resting the risen dough: with the rounded end of the scraper turn the rested dough onto a lightly floured countertop. Divide the dough into two equal portions and mould each into a loaf shape (watch the video). Place the shaped loaves into the prepared loaf pans, cover with a lint free dish towel or cling film or plastic bag and set aside in a draft free place for 45-60 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Baking the bread: Sprinkle and rub a little flour over the top of each risen bread. Place the bread in the oven and using the spray bottle, give the loaves three big squirts of water, then bake at 475ºF (250ºC) for ten minutes. Reduce the temperature to 425ºF (220ºC) and continue baking for another 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Remove the loaves from the oven and transfer on a cooling rack to cool at least 30 minutes before cutting.
- Original measurements which I scaled up: ½ oz (14.17g) Fresh Yeast; 18oz (510.29g) Flour; about 2 teaspoons salt; 5 tablespoons olive oil; 11½oz (326g) water.
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Your website looks great! And so does that bread!! I’ve been away from posting and blogging for a bit, nice to always return to your lovely pages.
Thank you so much for the compliments!
Liz