Rosemary Olive Sourdough Bread (Printable Version)

Tangy sourdough with rosemary, olives, and roasted garlic. Crunchy exterior, aromatic and flavorful inside.

# Ingredients:

→ Dough Base

01 - 520 g organic white bread flour
02 - 12 g fine sea salt
03 - 90 g active sourdough starter
04 - 385 g water

→ Add-ins

05 - 110 g chopped kalamata olives
06 - 2–3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
07 - 80 g roasted whole garlic cloves (optional)
08 - Rice flour, for dusting

# Steps:

01 - In a large bowl, blend bread flour and sea salt. In a separate bowl, mix sourdough starter and water with a fork until combined. Pour the starter mixture into the flour and stir until all flour is incorporated. If needed, add water by the tablespoon to combine. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen cloth and let rest 15 minutes. Perform two sets of stretch and folds, spaced 15 minutes apart.
02 - Let the dough rise at room temperature for 10–14 hours, ideally between 18–21°C, until visibly swollen but not fully doubled.
03 - Dust a banneton (proofing basket) with rice flour. Optionally, scatter extra chopped olives and rosemary on the bottom, which will become the loaf's top.
04 - Gently release dough onto a lightly floured surface. Flatten into a rough rectangle, about 4 cm thick. Evenly distribute olives, rosemary, and garlic over the dough. Fold one edge over to the center, then fold the other edge, forming a tri-fold. Rotate the dough, gently flatten again, and repeat the fold. Pinch seams to seal and transfer to the prepared banneton, seam-side up.
05 - Place the banneton with the dough in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 260°C with a lidded Dutch oven inside.
06 - Remove dough from fridge. Place parchment paper atop the banneton, invert dough so it sits seam side down on parchment. Using a sharp blade, score the surface 2–2.5 cm deep at a 45-degree angle to allow for optimal expansion.
07 - Transfer dough with parchment into preheated Dutch oven. Cover and bake at 260°C for 20 minutes with convection (or 25 minutes if not using convection) or 28 minutes at 230°C. Remove lid and continue baking 10–15 minutes at 230°C, until crust is deeply golden and internal temperature reaches 96–98°C.
08 - Remove bread from Dutch oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing to preserve crumb texture.

# Notes:

01 - Use a parchment-lined bowl if a banneton is unavailable; dust with flour and add toppings as desired.
02 - Substitute up to 65 g of white flour with whole grain or rye for added complexity, but excess may result in a denser loaf.
03 - Allowing the bread to fully cool before cutting prevents crushing and maintains interior structure.