Mar 01, 2010
Skyere, don't let the lack of a bread machine deter you from making bread the old fashioned way. I don't own a bread machine, nor do I have any desire to. I do, however, have a KitchenAid stand mixer which helps with the kneading process. This is how I start out all of my breads no matter what the directions say. I pour the warm water into the mixing bowl and then add the yeast and sugar and then stir. This particular recipe calls for brown sugar so I would go with that, but normally when a bread recipe calls for regular white sugar, I use honey instead. The sugar by itself or in the honey will help the yeast to proof. From there you can then add your butter, garlic, flour, garlic and olives. If you don't have a heavy duty stand mixer, you'll have to knead the dough for about eight minutes until it's smooth and elastic. Place the dough into a bowl with a bit of olive oil and coat. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let it sit in a warm place until it doubles in size. (about an hour) Punch the dough down, knead for a few minutes and if you have the time, you can give it a second rise. Punch down again and shape dough into a loaf and place on a cookie sheet. Cover loaf and let rise again; about thirty minutes. I know it sounds like a lot of work, but it really isn't as bad as it seems. Plus I think it's so much more satisfying than throwing a bunch ingredients into a machine. Have fun!
—LINDA MCLEAN
