Tasty Tuesdays- Pompe a L'huile (Bread from Provence)

La Pompe a L'huile is a specialty from my neck of the woods. Aside from making a great teatime treat, a perfect breakfast food or an easy desert when served with delicious jams or fruit.... it is a staple on the Provencal Christmas Table, and it would be unthinkable not to have one there. What is it? Think of it as a brioche-type bread... kinda like Challah. It's name means "pumped with oil" (oh yes, it's true!) because it's MADE with olive oil! Remember to tear the bread into pieces—tradition says that cutting it might sever your friendship with the people at the table.

So let's get started. :)



Ingredients:
1 cup warm water
2 packages of yeast
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup olive oil
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons orange flower water
3 1/2 to 4 cups all purpose flour

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Stir in the sugar, olive oil, egg, salt and orange flower water. Stir in 2 cups of the flour and mix well. Add the next 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 cup at a time to form a stiff dough.

Knead the dough for five to ten minutes until smooth, adding the final 1/2 cup flour as needed to keep it from sticking. Place the kneaded dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean dish towel. Allow dough to rise until double in size - about two hours.

Punch dough down and spread in a large oval shape on a greased baking sheet. The dough should be about 1/2 inch thick all around. Using a knife, cut seven large slits in the dough and separate them into seven holes each several inches wide (without tearing through to the edges of the bread). Allow dough to rise another hour.

Bake in 375 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

An alternative, easier recipe can be seen below:

Ingredients
3 3⁄4 cups flour
1⁄3 cup plus 1 tbsp. sugar
1 7-gram package active dry yeast
3⁄4 cup plus 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. salt

1. Make a poolish: Put 1 1⁄2 cups of the flour, sugar, yeast, and 1 cup warm water into a large bowl and stir well with a wooden spoon to combine. Let the mixture sit in a warm spot until bubbly, about 30 minutes.

2. Add remaining 2 1⁄4 cups flour, 3⁄4 cup of the oil, and salt to the poolish and stir until a dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 5–7 minutes. Grease a large clean bowl with the remaining 1 tbsp. oil, place dough in the bottom, and cover with a clean towel. Set the dough aside in a warm spot to let rise until doubled in bulk, 3–4 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 400°. Gently turn dough out onto a large sheet of parchment paper and gently stretch it with your fingers to form a 12" circle. Using a small, sharp knife, cut out five 2"-long slits, each about 1" wide, starting from the center of the bread and cutting toward the edge, so that the dough will resemble a sand dollar (discard dough scraps or bake them separately as a cook's-bonus nibble). Using your fingers, gently stretch the holes open a little wider so that they won't close up completely when bread is baked. Carefully transfer the dough—on the parchment paper—to a large baking sheet and bake until golden brown and puffed, about 15 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven and immediately brush the top and sides with 2 tbsp. hot water to soften the crust. Transfer the bread to a rack to let cool, or serve warm, if you like.