French Bread with Kalamata Olives and Thyme

Ingredients

• 4 cups flour ()
• 2 teaspoons butter 
• 1  egg whites beaten to blend
• 2 teaspoons thyme sprigs fresh chopped
• 4 ounces kalamata olives black pitted chopped
• 16 servings olive oil 
• 2 teaspoons salt 
• 2 teaspoons sugar 
• 1 cup water room temperature
• 1 cup milk whole
• 2 teaspoons yeast dry (for do-ahead version) (for same-day version)

Equipment

• bowl
• baking sheet
• sauce pan
• oven
• plastic wrap

Directions

1. Bring milk to simmer in small saucepan.
2. Add butter and sugar; stir until butter melts.
3. Pour mixture into large bowl.
4. Add 1 cup room-temperature water and cool mixture until lukewarm (85°F to 95°F), about 10 minutes.
5. Add yeast; stir to blend. Stir in olives, thyme and salt.
6. Add 1 cup flour. Using wood spoon, stir until flour is incorporated.
7. Add 3 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, and stir vigorously with wood spoon until incorporated after each addition. If necessary, add up to 1/2 cup more flour until dough is smooth and begins to pull away from sides of bowl. Oil large bowl.
8. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes (do not punch down dough).
9. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 500°F. Oil large baking sheet. Turn dough out onto floured work surface (to avoid deflating, do not punch down dough and do not knead dough). Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Gently form (do not knead) each piece into baguette 15 inches long by 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 inches wide (dough will not be smooth).
10. Transfer baguettes to prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly apart. Cover loosely with plastic wrap.
11. Let rise in warm draft-free area until slightly puffed, about 30 minutes for refrigerated dough and 15 minutes for room-temperature dough.
12. Brush top of each loaf lightly with egg white. Generously spray inside of oven with water (about 8 sprays); immediately place loaves in oven.
13. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400°F and continue to bake until loaves are deep golden and sound hollow when tapped, about 35 minutes. Cool on rack.