Thyme and Olives French Baguette
- 1 cup milk whole fat
- 2 teaspoons butter, unsalted or olive oil
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 cup water at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons yeast, active dry
- 3/4 cup kalamata olives pitted and chopped, or other brine-cured black olives
- 2 teaspoons thyme prefer freshly chopped, or 1 teaspoon dry
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 cups flour, all-purpose or more as needed
- 1 large egg whites lightly beaten
- Add milk into a small saucepan, bring to a boil.
- Stir in butter and sugar until butter melts and sugar dissolves.
- Transfer mixture into a large bowl.
- Stir in 1 cup room-temperature water and cool mixture until lukewarm (85F to 95F), 8 to 12 minutes.
- Stir in yeast until well blend.
- Add olives, thyme and salt.
- Stir in 1 cup flour with a wooden spoon until just mixed and most.
- Stir in another 3 cups flour, 1 cup at once, and mix with the wooden spoon until incorporated after each addition.
- Add up to 13 cup more flour if needed until dough is smooth and begins to pull away from sides of bowl.
- Coat a large bowl with cooking spray or oil it.
- Transfer dough to bowl, coat the dough with cooking spray or brush with some oil.
- Cover with plastic wrap or kitchen towel.
- To make ahead:
- Chill dough overnight.
- To make at the same day:
- Allow dough to rise in warm area until doubled in volume, 50 to 60 minutes (do not punch down dough during the rising).
- Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 500F.
- Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Turn dough out onto floured working surface (to avoid deflating, do not punch down dough and do not knead dough).
- Cut dough into 2 equal portions.
- Gently form (do not knead) each piece into baguette 15 inches long by 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 inches wide (dough will not be smooth).
- Transfer baguettes to prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly apart.
- Cover loosely with plastic wrap.
- Allow to rise in warm area until slightly puffed, about half an hour to 40 minutes for refrigerated dough and 15 to 20 minutes for room-temperature dough.
- Lightly brush egg white on top of each loaf.
- Generously spray water inside of oven (9 to 10 sprays), right away put loaves in oven.
- Bake 10 minutes.
- Reduce oven temperature to 400F and continue baking until loaves are deep golden and sound hollow when tapped, 35 to 28 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on wire rack completely.
- Slice and serve.
milk, butter, sugar, water, yeast, kalamata olives, thyme, salt, flour, egg whites
Taken from recipeland.com/recipe/v/thyme-olives-french-baguette--51950 (may not work)