Ingredients
Scale
For the Starter:
- 1 1/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1/2 cup warm water
For the Dough:
- all of the starter
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons to 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
For the Filling:
- 2 1/2 cups grated Gruyère cheese, or the grated/shredded cheese of your choice (sharp cheddar, or a mixture of provolone and mozzarella are tasty)
- 1 cup coarsely chopped green olives
- 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Instructions
- To make the starter, mix the 1 1/4 cups flour, salt, yeast, and 1/2 cup water in a large measuring cup or small bowl. Mix till well combined; the starter will be very dry. Cover and let rest overnight at room temperature; it’ll become bubbly.
- To make the dough, combine the risen starter with the water, salt, flour, and yeast. Stir until thick and well combined in a bowl then dump onto a well floured work surface to knead by hand until soft and smooth, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until doubled in size.
- Gently deflate the dough, and pat and stretch it into a 3/4″-thick rectangle, about 9″ x 12″. Use your finger tips and hands to stretch out the dough. No rolling pin required. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and olives.
- Starting with a long side of the dough, roll it into a log, pinching the seam to seal. Place the log, seam-side down on a lightly floured surface.
- Gently cut the log into four crosswise slices, for mini-breads; or simply cut the dough in half, for two normal-sized loaves. Place them on one (for two loaves) or two (for four mini-loaves) lightly greased baking sheets or 9×13-inch pans, cut side up. Use your fingers to press the rolls down and spread them open a bit to more fully expose the cheese.
- Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise for 1 hour until it’s puffy but not necessarily doubled in size. Towards the end of the rising time, place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Lightly brush loaves with egg wash.
- Place in the oven to bake.
- Bake for 20 minutes (for the mini-loaves), or 35 minutes (for the full-sized loaves), or until the cheese is melted and the loaves are a very deep golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.
- Slice into wedges and serve warm with mustard. Rolls will last, well wrapped at room temperature for up to 4 days. They are best reheated gently in the oven or toasted before serving.