Artisan Olive Oil Dough

Olive Oil Dough
From Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day
The recipe is introduced with: "This versatile, rich dough works nicely in pizza, focaccia, or olive bread. The fruitier the olive oil, the better the flavor."

2 3/4 c. lukewarm water
1 1/2 tbsp yeast
1 1/2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
6 1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour (okay, I'll confess. I subbed in two cups of whole wheat flour-- I just can't make an all-white-flour recipe! It seems like a sin or something. Anyway, it turned out wonderful.)

Mix everything but the flour together in a big bowl, then add the flour using a spoon, and finishing with your wet hands.
Cover (not airtight) and let it rest at room temp for 2 hours, or until the dough rises and collapses.
Use right away, or refrigerate covered for 12 days.
To make a pizza, preheat the oven to 500, dust the surface of the dough with flour, cut off a chunk of dough (orange to grapefruit sized), dust with more flour and shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball as you go.
Flatten the dough into an 1/8th inch thick round (or square, if you're into that).
Quickly add the toppings, (herbs, fancy cheese, chopped garlic and olive oil (with possibly some sneakily grated cabbage) throw the thing in the oven (on a pizza stone is good, but I don't have one so I just use a greased cookie sheet and it works for me) and cook it for about 8 or 10 minutes. Drizzle it with balsamic vinegar. Enjoy. You're welcome.

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

I checked this book out from the library last year and after three days I had made a small mountain of carmel-crusted, fluffy crumbed toothsome baked goods. Two olive-oil soaked flatbreads, three loaves of crackly wholesome wheat and oat bread, and a pizza dinner later... I was convinced. I promptly returned the library book before all the pages got gummed together and Amazoned myself my own copy, now floured and gummed without fear of library fines.
I love that the authors streamlined the bread-baking event-- which I LOVE in any form-- but this just gives me an excuse to do it even more. Nearly every recipe I've tried has been show stopping, even with my piddly dink no-flash camera.
And the "five minutes" thing-- it's a teeny bit exaggerated. What it really means that the recipes are all no-knead and can be made in big batches, stored in the fridge, and baked up easily one loaf at a time. A beautiful ideal-- suggesting a life of daily fresh baked breads and pastries. The cookbook also includes other recipes that make the breads into complete meals-- soups and salads and savory grilled meats. I recommend you keep a hankie on hand as you read this book to mop up all the drool.