olives in tx!

[lovebenton0]

Back to olives, in a way . . .

fifi, I'll post my recipe a little later for the skillet bread. 

Texas Sourdough Potato Skillet Bread

A different and easy dinner skillet bread, that requires very little kneading. It is especially well suited to serve with bbq/grilled meats, and hearty soups or beans. This is not a strict sourdough bread, as there is the addition of yeast due to the softness of the dough. But you can enjoy it anyway. The recipe is very simple in its basic form and it disappears quickly. You can change the character for variety, by adding olives, cheese, onions, or peppers. For cheese bread add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of your choice grated cheese to the dough; either when you knead in the cornmeal at the end, or as a topping for your loaf.

I like to top this bread with about 1/3 cup olive tapenade, or sliced olives, if you prefer. If topping with olive brush dough with olive oil after shaping instead of butter.

Ingredients

3/4 cup sourdough starter, set out in the morning

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 cup bread flour

1 tbsp yeast

2 tbsp sugar

1 large potato, boiled, and peeled, grated

1/2 cup potato water, warm

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

1 tsp lemon pepper

1/4 cup light margarine or butter

2 cups bread flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup light margarine or butter for coating dough

*Butter flavored cooking spray is a good substitute for coating dough, and for buttering your skillet that yields less fat, calories, and sodium.

Method

Combine first five ingredients for sponge; allow to set for 3-4 hrs in open bowl away from drafts.

Boil, then peel the potato; grate potato, should be about 1 1/2 cups grated. Stir down the sponge; stir in grated potato and potato water with the garlic, salt, and lemon pepper.

Stir through the 1/4 cup butter or margarine.

Add flour 1/2 cup at a time. Mix in with wooden spoon then knead by hand until a very soft dough.

Knead in the cornmeal.

Coat with softened light margarine or butter; cover and allow to rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Turn out into a well buttered 8 or 9 inch skillet. Coat again; cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise again for 35-45 minutes.

Bake in 425 oven for 25-30 minutes until nicely browned on top and done.

Edited to add: Nice pics of the olive trees, markf424. We must have been posting at the same time.

Edited April 19, 2004 by lovebenton0 (log)