Bread Machine Italian Olive Oil Bread

The dough for this Italian Olive Oil Bread, PANE ALL’OLIO, is prepared in a bread machine and baked on a baking stone to create a crisp, golden crust with a chewy interior.

The preparation is fairly simple.  All you do is make a sponge in the bread machine pan, and let it stand for 8 hours to overnight, then make the final dough using the dough setting.

 

Pane all’olio is an Italian bread also known as Tuscan olive oil bread. It’s a type of white bread made with flour, water, yeast, salt, and a significant amount of olive oil which gives the bread a rich flavor and a moist, tender crumb. The olive oil also contributes to a slightly crisp and golden crust when baked.  The amount of oil can vary, resulting in a range of textures from firm to quite soft.

Italian Olive Oil Bread (prepared in a bread machine)

Adapted from Rustic European Breads from Your Bread Machine by Linda Eckhardt & Diana Collingwood Butts

Makes: 2 large cigar-shaped rolls or 1 medium free-form round loaf

Ingredients:

• 360 grams (3 cups) bread flour
• 7 grams (1 Packet / 2 1/4 tsp.) bread machine yeast
• 296 grams (1 1/4 cups) warm water
• 9 grams (1 1/2 tsp.) fine sea salt
• 6 grams (1 1/2 tsp.) sugar
• 28 grams (2 Tbsp.) fruity olive oil

Directions:

In the bread machine pan, combine half the flour, all the yeast, and half the warm water. Process on dough setting. Let the sponge sit in the bread machine for at least 8 hours or up to 24.

Break the dough ball up into 4 pieces, put it back into the machine, and proceed to make the bread. Add the remaining flour and water, the salt, sugar, and olive oil. Process on the dough setting.

At the end of the dough cycle, remove the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for a few seconds.

Divide the dough into two pieces, cover with the bread machine pan, and let it rest for 5 minutes or so.

Shape each piece of dough into a cigar-shaped roll about 8 inches long, fat in the middle, and tapered at both ends. Alternately, make one round free-form loaf or one 12-inch cigar-shaped roll.

Place loaves on a parchment-lined baking sheet for the final rising. Cover with plastic wrap and let the shaped loaves rise in a warm, draft-free place until they are nearly doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

About 30 minutes before you plan to bake, preheat the oven to 450°F with a baking stone on the middle rack.

Just before baking, make a single, deep slash at a 45° angle in the top of each loaf with a razor blade or sharp knife. Spritz the loaves with water.  Then transfer the loaves (parchment and all) onto the stone to bake. Bake for 12 minutes at 450°F., then reduce the temperature to 375°F. and continue baking for 40 minutes more.

Remove the golden loaves immediately to cool on a rack. Store in brown paper.

The slices have a crisp crust and chewy interior.

Happy Baking!
Cathy

Additional resources for bread machine bread:

• Making bread machine bread
• Bread machine recipes
• Adapt recipes for use in your bread maker