Her head backi in the oven: sundried tomato and olive bread

ARGGGH. I got a message saying "conflicting edits" and then this post disappeared, so I shall try again.

You have all read of my adventures in bread baking. Well, Annalena took a 3 month rest from bread baking. Why? Who knows. Probably a combination of boredom, business, and the realization that "you know, it is now possible to get REALLY good bread from bakeries and the farmers market," something that was not possible when Annalena started baking bread. The awful breads of twenty years ago are still around, but you have choices.

And, so yourself a favor: if you are willing to spend money on other things, spend some money on bread.

The three months away have given Annalena some focus. She may never be the mad baker she was again, but if a recipe catches her eye, as this one did...

Except it was designed for a bread machine. AGGGGGG. Annalena views the bread machine as a manifestation of the Antichrist, and testimonials in their favor as akin to statements that "skim milk tastes the same as cream." IT doesn't, and Annalena will not permit a bread machine in her house. Fortunately, she knows how to undo these recipes and turn them into "real" recipes and when you see how easy they are, you will not bemoan your lack of a machine.

Here we go. You need ten sun dried tomatoes, NOT packed in oil. Chop them fine. Now, calamata olives, black ones. Pit them by lining them up, pressing the back of a knife on them, hard, and then picking away the meat. Do this until you have a cup of them. It won't take long. Took me ten minutes.

You will also need a package, or two teaspoons of yeast, 1.5 cups of water, 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Put those in a bowl. Now add the sun dried tomatoes, and the olives. Stir it around and add 4.5 cups of flour, all purpose, and whole wheat, mixed, as you see fit. Up to 1/3 can be whole wheat. Put a teaspoon of salt in too.

Knead with your hands, if you are inclined, until you have a soft mass, and then move it to a table top and use the "Business envelope" technique I have written about, until you have a smooth, satiny, wonderful looking loaf. This will take about 12 minutes of easy work. The oil and the oil released from the olives makes a VERY soft dough. If you use the big mixer, use the paddle to blend, and then the dough hook, for about eight minutes. Cover the bowl, and let it rest for an hour and a half.

Now, how much work was that? Maybe 15 minutes? After an hour and a half, shape the dough into a long, oblong loaf, cover it, and let it rest for forty five minutes, while your oven comes up to 400.

Put the loaf in, and let it bake for half an hour or so. Check with a toothpick in the center to see if it's dry. If it is, you are done. If not, let it bake another fifteen minutes or so.

And you're done, and you have a lovely loaf of bread that you probably will NOT be able to find, even at a good bakery.

According to my recipe, this loaf makes 20 slices, at 132 calories a slice.
RIGHT. I think not . So if you count the calories from your bread, this loaf has 2640 calories in it. Divide accordingly, as you slice it.

But ragazzi, don't worry about the calories, if you please. Think instead of how good it is, how good you feel, and all the nasties you are not eating.

If you make this bread with variations, say, by putting in some chopped basil or rosemary, or garlic, or if you change the flours, please let us all know. Cooks are generous people, but bakers are the most generous of all. So, y'all, let's share. Oh, and tell me what you use your bread with. Sandwiches? Croutons? Salads? CMON. Let's get some discussion going gang!