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OLIVE OIL BREAD DOUGH, REGULAR AND LARGE BATCH

Recipe from Vegan Vegetarian Omnivore by Anna Thomas. Copyright © 2016 by Anna Thomas. Used with permission of the publisher, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Use any proportion you like of white and whole-wheat flour; I usually do a fifty-fifty mix, which makes a dough that is easy to work with yet full of nutty whole-wheat flavor. Whole-grain flour is heavier than refined flour, so if you use only whole-wheat flour, the rising time will be a bit longer, and you’ll get a denser pastry.
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Ingredients
  

  • FOR A REGULAR BATCH A GALETTE TO SERVE 6:
  • 1 tsp. active dry yeast
  • 2 tsp. sugar
  • 1 cup lukewarm water
  • 2 1/4 cups flour 12 oz., plus more for the board
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil more for the baking sheet
  • FOR A LARGE BATCH 1 VERY LARGE GALETTE OR 2 SMALLER ONES:
  • 1 1/3 tsp. active dry yeast
  • 2 tsp. sugar
  • 1 1/3 cups lukewarm water
  • 3 1/2 cups flour 1 lb., plus more for the board
  • 1 1/3 tsp. sea salt
  • 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil plus more for the baking sheet

Instructions
 

  • Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water and set it aside for a few minutes, until it begins to foam up. In a mixing bowl, mix the measured flour with the salt.
  • Whisk the measured olive oil into the yeast mixture. Pour the liquid into the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until a dough forms; it should be quite soft. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead it for 3 to 4 minutes, until it is smooth and pliant, springing back when pushed down. Add sprinkles of flour only as you need them to keep the dough from sticking, but don’t let it get stiff and dry.
  • Form the dough into a ball and put it into an oiled bowl, turning it once. Cover the bowl with a towel or with plastic wrap and leave the dough in a warm, draft-free place to rise for about an hour, or until roughly double in size. Rising time can vary depending on air temperature. When the dough has doubled in volume, punch it down. It is now ready to roll out, fill, and shape according to the recipe.
  • Working Ahead . . .You can wrap this dough well (freezer bags are good) and put it away in the refrigerator for a day or two. Even in the refrigerator it will want to keep rising, though very slowly. Don’t worry—just punch it down again when ready to use it. This dough can also be frozen. Allow it to thaw completely and come to room temperature before proceeding with a recipe.