Ingredients:

  • 225g thick-cut bacon, diced
  • 150g Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
  • 175g Sharp White Cheddar, cubed into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 500g bread flour (12.7% protein)
  • 350ml filtered water, warmed to 105°F
  • 7g active dry yeast
  • 10g sea salt
  • 5g sugar

Instructions:

  1. Render the diced bacon in a cold skillet over medium heat until crispy and mahogany-colored. Drain on paper towels, reserving exactly 1 tablespoon of the rendered bacon fat.
  2. Halve the Kalamata olives and press them firmly between double layers of paper towels to remove all surface moisture and brine.
  3. Whisk the warm water, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl; let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread flour and sea salt. Pour in the yeast mixture and the 1 tablespoon of reserved bacon fat. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
  5. Perform a series of stretch and folds over a 2-hour rise period, layering in the dried olives, bacon, and cubed cheddar during the folding process to ensure uniform distribution through the gluten network.
  6. Preheat a Dutch oven in an oven set to 450°F. Carefully transfer the shaped loaf onto parchment paper and score the surface.
  7. Bake in the preheated Dutch oven for 45 minutes, removing the lid halfway through to achieve a deep, shattering crust.