Well, not exactly … no plums or prunes here but there were gorgeous dried black olives. Perfect for wine and cheese! Really this was astronomically wonderful.
Maybe not the world’s most beautiful to look at but fabulous in the mouth!
Cathy posting at Bread Experience is our hosting Kitchen of the Month with a recipe from the San Francisco Baking Institute. I love this flaxseed soaker. The whole flax seeds come through in the baked bread soft enough to give the bread a slight crunch between the teeth. I believe the softening of the flax seeds would make them as digestible as ground flax meal. While I’m in love with this bread made with the dried olives, I know there are innumerable combinations of fruits, nuts and olives that would create fabulous combinations. Next time we have company, I’m making this with apricots and walnuts or with figs and walnuts.
Flaxseed and Plum Ciabatti-Style Loaves
Flaxseed soaker:
48 grams flax seeds
72 grams water
Mix all ingredients until well incorporated, cover and set aside. Let it sit for at least one hour.
Poolish:
125 grams bread flour
125 grams water
pinch of instant yeast
Mix all ingredients until well incorporated with D.D.T. of 70°F. Allow to ferment 12 – 14 hours at room temperature (65 -70°F)
Final Dough:
300 grams unbleached all-purpose flour, 1/2 white whole wheat
50 grams coarsely milled whole wheat flour
25 grams coarsely milled whole rye flour
278 grams water
10 grams salt
84 grams prunes, used dried black olives
2 grams instant yeast, 1/2 teaspoon
Directions: Hand Mix Mix together all the ingredients except the flax seeds, and plums. Once everything is thoroughly incorporated, mix in flax soaker and dried plums. Transfer the dough into an oiled container. Dough Temperature: 76-78°F First Fermentation: a total of 3 hours with 3 folds 45 minutes at room temperature; fold 45 minutes at room temperature; fold 45 minutes at room temperature; fold Divide: I made two loaves. I placed the shaped dough on ovals of parchment paper.
Parchment paper on the right is darker because I’d used it for baking biscuits earlier.
Rest : 20 minutes at room temperature
So tempting to slice but the amount of whole grains told me I needed to allow this to really cool.
Oh my it just occurs to me that figs would be wonderful in this bread.
I really encourage you bake this one. Go fruit or olive or something none of use has thought of but bake it you should. As always, Cathy will have the round-up of Buddies at the end of the month. Don’t know how to be a buddy and earn a buddy badge (more important have a great loaf)? Check out her post. Check out all the other Babes baking this month, list is on the right side bar.
Thank you immensely for this one Cathy. This is going to often be on our evening cheese plate with wine.
MyKitchenInHalfCups 
May 17, 2015 at 2:11 pm
With figs, then have it with red wine and goat cheese. I’ll be right over. And keep some of this olive for me too, please
May 17, 2015 at 4:55 pm
Wouldn’t it be lovely to be able to “pop right over” we’d be so happy to see you. And I’d bake the two loaves just for your arrival.
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May 18, 2015 at 1:13 am
Two beautfiul loaves, the olives make them even more Italian. I think the flaxseed soaked is indeed better than raw whole ones (the probably pass through with out being utilised. I normally add crushed/broken flaxseed, the meal is not available here.
May 18, 2015 at 8:06 am
Black olives! You wild thing, you! I bet that’s delicious. But the prunes are good too and surprisingly do not make the bread very sweet at all.
Figs would be good too (Katie, you are brilliant) and I bet apricots would be excellent as well. Oooooh, how about currants?
We can only get whole flaxseeds here and like Lien, I generally grind them in our ex-coffee grinder before adding them to any bread dough.
May 21, 2015 at 2:13 pm
Your dark rustic loaves are beautiful! So glad you made the olives work for you.