Into the bread bin – Loaf 3

Rye Bread with Olive and Herb filling

Now that I’ve mastered simple white dough (cough!), it seems like a good time to move on to something new. My father in law gave me a copy of ‘Dough’ by Richard Bertinet for Christmas and I’ve been finding it very useful for teaching myself some basic bread making techniques. I know my wife’s family love olives so I’ve decided to try out Richard’s recipe for rye bread with olives and herbes de provence.

My review:
Appearance: God damn it! I was trying to create three torpedo shaped batards but fumbled it whilst sliding the loaves into the oven. One loaf almost landed on the ground and the other was left draping off the baking tray. I had to stick my hand into a 250 degree oven and do some hasty rearranging. This is probably why my wife just takes her bra off by herself.
Otherwise the final loaves look okay. They have a pleasant golden color and you can just about make out the slits where the dough was meant to split.
Crust: Still just a flimsy skin but with a little crispiness in a few spots.
Texture: Great. The crumb is reasonably light and the olive oil lends a moist, silky mouthfeel.
Taste: Delicious. The flavors from the olives, olive oil and herbs are very assertive but in perfect balance. The bread tastes so good that my wife and I ate it plain.

Wife:
Appearance: “It looks kind of artisany.”
Taste: My wife liked the rich, complex flavors running through the bread. She noticed that the herbes de provence left a slightly, minty aftertaste. So good she recommended I cook it for a future family party.

(I’m quite chuffed with myself now.)