Persian Fetta and Olive Pull- APart Bread

So this recipe actually dates to sometime ago when I had the hankering to make some freshly baked bread. Having never baked bread catch phrases such as "fermenting"or  "proving" left me unsure and frankly a little intimidated.

Then I came across this great recipe in "Mastering the Art of Baking" from one of Australia's most prominent bakers, Anneka Manning. The recipe is relatively simple to make and it uses gorgeous ingredients such as fetta and olives, which are a match made in heaven.

The best thing about pull-apart bread is just that...you can pull it apart with your hands fresh from the oven. The smell of the bread baking away in the oven will leave a delightful scent in the house sure to make your stomach rumble.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 155ml lukwarm water
• large pinch of caster sugar
• 4.5g dried yeast
• 30g butter, melted
• 125ml milk, warmed
• 450g plain flour
• 1 tsp salt 
• 80g kalamata olives, pitted
• 150g persian fetta cheese
• 2 tbsp oregano leaves
• 1 1/2 tbs olive oil

Method:

1. Combine 62ml of the water with the sugar in a large bowl.
2. Sprinkle over the yeast and set aside for 5-6 minutes.
3. Add the melted butter, milk, remaining water and half the plain flour. Mix well with a wooden spoon.
4. Add the remaining flour until a course dough forms.
5. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic. 
6. Knock back the dough to expel the air.
7. Using a rolling pin roll out the dough to a rectangle (approx 26cm x 40cm), with the long side facing you.
8. Scatter the olives, Persian fetta and oregano over half the dough, leaving a 1 cm edge.
9. Drizzle oil over the filling.
10. Fold the dough over to enclose the filling.
11. Using a sharp knife cut about ten even slices.
12. With each slice, roll it into a circular shape and place cut side down, into a tin.  Repeat with the remaining nine slices. Each of the pieces should fit snuggly together. 
13. Place a tea towel over the dough and set aside in a warm place for approximately 1 hour.
14. After the hour the dough should have risen to the top of the tin.
15. Bake for 50 minutes or until golden at 180 degrees.  Cool in the tin for five minutes before removing. 

Note you can do steps 3 to 6 in an electric machine such as a Kenwood if you have one.  It will do the same thing as by hand, but just more quickly.

I served my pull-apart bread with a garden salad, blanched asparagus, cold cut meats and cutlets.  Off course you could eat it just by itself and it would be equally delicious!