Mediterranean Bread

This week Friday cooking, my Mexican friend baked Mediterranean bread with a touch of sun-dried tomatoes. Everyone loved these breads and it is my pleasure to share her recipe. To be warned, this is a long process.

Preparation Time : 2 hours
Baking Time : 45 mins
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

3+1 cups all-purpose flour
1 envelope Rapid Rise Yeast
1 tsp salt
1 cup of mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup chopped black olives
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, cut into small pieces
3 tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
3 tbsp coriander
1 tbsp cornmeal

Procedure

1. In a large bowl, mix together 3 cups of flour, yeast, salt, black olives, cheese, olive and water. Add the last cup of flour little by little until it reaches a smooth consistency.
2. Turn out dough onto a floured board. Knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes. If necessary, add more flour. Set aside in a bowl and cover with a warm towel. Let it rise in the oven with light on for 45 minutes, until double in size.
3. Punch down. Add coriander and knead well again, for about 5 to 10 minutes. Let it rise for about 30 minutes, until double in size.

4. Again, knead for 5 to 10 minutes and finish kneading with a coating olive oil. Let it rise until double in size.

5. While it is rising, put a pan of water in the bottom of the oven.

6. Preheat oven to 475F. Cut the dough into 2-3 pieces and shape it into your favorite geometry.

7. Bake dough for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 400F and bake for 30 more minutes, or until done.