HELEN OLESS'S PROSCIUTTO AND OLIVE BRAID
Helen Oless developed this bread while working as a baker at Bloomingdale's in the early 1980s. Ms. Oless put into practice years of experimentation with flours, yeasts and baking techniques to create delicious country-style brick-oven breads, then the pride of the store's bakeshop. They included rye, whole wheat, white, currant-whole wheat, walnut-whole wheat as well as more exotic combinations such as an aromatic cheddar cheese-caraway and this prosciutto-olive braid.
Provided by Bryan Miller
Categories side dish
Time 2h45m
Yield 1 large loaf
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Sprinkle baking sheet, approximately 9 1/2 by 11 inches, with cornmeal and set aside.
- Saute prosciutto in 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in garlic, fennel seed and pepper. Pour contents into large mixing bowl.
- Add hot water, yeast and sugar.
- Stir in 1 cup all-purpose flour. Beat in 1/4 cup shortening. Add chopped olives.
- Add 1 more cup of all-purpose flour. Dough will be sticky at this point. Scrape out onto work surface.
- Gradually knead in 3 cups of bread flour until dough is smooth and elastic.
- Cover with inverted bowl; rest for 10 minutes.
- Roll dough into a 10-inch-by-15-inch rectangle. Cut three strips in rectangle, leaving about 1/2 inch at end uncut. Braid and pinch bottom end.
- Place on prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and put in a warm place until light and doubled in volume - about one hour. When doubled, bake in preheated 400-degree oven until hollow sound is heard when loaf is tapped on bottom.
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