PREPARATIONS for BAKING: Take the baskets from the refrigerator and
remove the wrapping. Let the dough warm almost to room temperature
for 1 1/2 to 2 hours–it is important that it not be chilled. HALF AN
HOUR BEFORE ESTIMATED BAKING TIME: Place the baking stone or tiles on
the oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 500
degrees F. SLASHING THE DOUGH: Gently invert each basket, catching
the dough in your hand and laying it carefully on a lightly floured
wooden peel. With a single-edged razor, make a quick slanting 1/2″
slash in the top of the dough from one side to the other. Open the
slash slightly with your fingers. BAKING THE BREAD–45 minutes.
Spritz the oven liberally with water and close the door for 5 seconds
to trap the steam. Then quickly open the door and slide the dough
onto the hot baking surface, jerking away the peel. Immediately turn
down the oven temperature to 450 F. Continue spritzing the oven with
water every 3 minutes for first 15 minutes of baking. When the breads
are firm enough, rotate their positions to ensure more even coloring.
Continue baking for about 30 minutes. The cut should open up and the
bread will rise to almost double its original size. WHEN IS IT DONE?
The crust will be a deep golden brown, with visible small
fermentation bubbles particularly around the base. When tapped on the
bottom, the bread should make a hollow sound–the temperature on an
instant thermometer plunged into the bottom of the bread should be
200 degrees F. Remove the bread to a rack to cool completely before
slicing. Alternative overnight yeast batter: 1 package fresh or dried
yeast 1/4 cup tap water, in a 1 cup measure 1/4 t sugar 1 cup
all-purpose flour 1 cup water, droplets more if needed Crumble or
sprinkle the yeast over the water in the measure, whisk in the sugar,
and let rise for several minutes until it begins to foam. Whisk it
again, then scrape into a 2 quart glass or plastic container. Whisk
in the cup of flour, then the water, to make a mixture the
consistency of pancake batter. Set uncovered at room temperature for
several hours, until it foams and produces bit heavy bubbles. Stir it
up, and leave overnight. May be used in place of the Silverton
starter in any of her recipes. AHEAD OF TIME NOTE: If not to be used
the next day, cover and refrigerate. The batter will gradually turn
into a sourdough; feed it and treat it in the same way as the
finished Silverton starter. NOTES: The type of olives is important.
If you do not use firm enough olives they will dissolve into the
bread causing a muddiness of flavor, and an excess of salt! I have a
report of someone trying to use a DLC-7 SuperPro Cuisineart
processor, which was a disaster! The starter oozed out of the bottom
and it wouldn’t knead the amount of flour and starter that’s in the
recipe. I use the Kitchenaid for this recipe with great success. It
takes longer to knead, but is a much better alternative to a huge
mess with the processor, plus I didn’t have to do the recipe in two
batches. I kept the dough pretty wet so I used only about 6 – 6 1/2
cups of flour total.
Yields
2 Loaves