Who say's you can't bake in the summer???

Yeah it's hot, and yes it's always difficult to bake in this atrocious heat, and what with my beautiful but sometimes overheated wife nagging… well, regardless, a baker must bake!

Here was my last loaf; a Pain Provençale studded with olives, herbes de provençe, garlic and my secret midi favorite, you guessed it… anchovies. Yes, that's right. The additions are fantastic, especially adorned with some goat cheese. The surprise salty and fishiness of the anchois with a milky tangy goat cheese is just unctuous, or if you prefer less high-minded descriptions, deliciously funky!

My mother who comes from the Riviera and lived in the Var as a child, was really liking this loaf…we toasted it and had it with some Comte, my dearest wife was not having a slice after her first bite of anchovy, she had wanted straight olive bread, but I needed a more Gallic accent redolent of the land and sea….

Pain Provençale

Based on Dan Leaders recipes from FCI (my bread and cooking school)

1 750g loaf

A.P. Flour  354g   100%

Water       212g     60%

salt             7g       2%

Levain     141g         40%(liquid levain)

Herbs        3.5g      1%

Olives       35g       10%

Anchovies…hmmm I guess I snuck in two filets, chopped

Mix flour, water and levain. Give an autolyse for about 20 minutes. Mix again to get a medium development and mix on 2nd speed for about 2 minutes, finally adding in salt and the remaining ingredients either by machine or by hand. I also gave two folds during the bulk proof.

Proof for about 2 to 21/2 hours.

divide and shape if you make a larger batch…second proof 3 to 4 hours.

Bake for about 40 minutes at 450 F

Et Voila!