From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The last of the Christmas decorations came down today, and while the house looks bare with all the garlands and ornaments gone, the time had come. I'd left them up much longer than usual for friends who joined us on Friday evening for our annual "Christmas" get-together. For reasons I still don't understand, it takes me longer to put things away than it does to put them up. Knowing the job would take a chunk out of my day, I decided it would be a great time to make a pot of soup and watch bread rise. I found a recipe on The Wanderlust Kitchen for an olive bread that was unusually easy to make, and thought this would be a great time to give it a try. I was really pleased with the results. The recipe makes a peasant loaf that is earthy and well-flavored and a perfect accompaniment to a bowl of soup. It is also very easy to make. As a matter of fact, a stand mixer does all the work we normally associate with bread making. I did make a small change to the recipe. Steam is required to make a soft and golden crust on peasant loaves. Rather than add water to a hot pan when the bread went into the oven, I sprayed the surface of the loaf and the sides of the oven with water. It is an easier and safer way to create steam and, in my opinion, it produces the same lovely crust as the water pan method. I do hope you will give this bread a try. I love its crust and crumb and will make it again when I need a savory bread to serve with soup or stew. I think you will like it too. Here is how the bread is made.
