Here's a Ciabatta recipe that I make regularly, it's probably originally
from Bon Appetit. I make it for my son's piano teacher's recitals;
everyone else brings brownies, but this bread disappears first!
As for the Kalamata bread, two suggestions:
(1) Chop up the olives and add some fresh herb (rosemary is nice) and just
work it into a 'rustic' style bread ...
(2) King Arthur has an olive "mix in" which works very nicely and it
doesn't get any easier!
Ciabatta
BIGA:
17 Tablespoons warm water
1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
3 1/3 cups bread flour
DOUGH:
1 cup warm water
1 pinch active dry yeast
11 Tablespoons semolina flour
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
coarse salt and/or seeds for topping, if desired
For biga: sprinkle yeast over warm water, let stand until proofed (about 8
minutes). Add 1 cup flour, stir until blended. Scrape sides of bowl; add
another cup of flour. Repeat blending & scraping. Add remaining 1-1/3
cups flour; cut in until small, moist clumps form. (Preceding steps can be
completed in food processor if desired.) Gather dough into a ball (dought
will be firm); place in large bowl. Cover; chill overnight. Biga will
soften, resembling thick oatmeal in texture.
For dough: Pull biga into walnut-sized pieces; place in a clean large bowl
(actually, if your original bowl was large enough just keep using
it!). Add warm water, yeast, and 11 Tblsp semolina. Using one hand,
squeeze ingredients together for 2 minutes. Work douth for four minutes by
scooping sections from the sides of the bowl and pressing them into the
center, blending into a very soft, shaggy mass. (A plastic dough scraper
works well for this step.) Using a dough scraper or spatula, clean the
sides of the bowl so all dough is in the center. Let the dough rest in the
bowl, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle the salt over the dough. Using one hand, knead dough by rotating
the bowl 1/4 turn at a time, scooping the dough from teh sides and folding
down into the center until the dought starts to come away from the sides of
the bowl, about 5 minutes. Scrape dough from your hand and the sides of
the bowl. Cover bowl with towel; let dough rest in bowl 20 minutes.
Preheat over to 425 F. Sprinkle work surface with additional semolina
(LOTS). Turn dough out onto semolina. Using dough scraper or large knife,
cut dough in half; keep halves separated (easier said than done, this dough
is VERY soft...have LOTS of semolina on the board and move the halves apart
as you cut them). Let stand, uncovered, 20 minutes.
Sprinkle 2 large baking sheets with additional semolina (or Silpat or
similar sheet works fine). Flip each dough half, semolina side up, onto
one sheet (using a peel or other large flat surface to slide under the very
slack dough). Stretch each dough half to approximately a 16" x 4"
rectangle (no point in aiming for precision here though!). Press
fingertips into dough in several places to dimple the surface. (Add salt
and/or seeds now if desired.)
Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool on rack, enjoy!