Focaccia sticks

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 400 g wheat flour type 550
• 300 g water, room temperature
• 5 g fresh yeast
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 8 g salt
• 1 jar olives, black without stones, drained weight 160 g
• 2 tbsp olive oil for the dough, additional oil for processing

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Rest time approx. 13 hours 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 14 hours 15 minutes

Mix the flour, water, yeast, olive oil (2 tbsp), and salt thoroughly. This will form a very soft dough. Place it in a bowl greased with 1 tbsp olive oil, place a fresh, large plastic bag (e.g., a garbage bag) over it, and let the dough rise for 12 hours at room temperature (20°C–22°C). Drain the olives. Chop one-third of the olives and carefully mix them into the dough. Since the dough is very soft and sticky, I line the moistened work surface with plastic wrap, moist so it doesn’t slip. I brush the wrap with 1 tbsp olive oil to prevent the dough from sticking. Otherwise, the dough would be difficult to work with. The oil prevents it from sticking. Place a small plate with 1 tbsp of oil next to it so you can oil your fingers every now and then. So, oil your fingers and work the dough using the stretch-and-fold method. Then let it rest, covered, for 30 minutes. Then, using a spatula, divide the dough into three long pieces and place them on a baguette baking tray lined with baking paper. Don’t forget to oil your fingers frequently. Cover and let rise for another hour. Then carefully press the remaining olives into the dough. Preheat the oven to 240°C (top/bottom heat). If steaming is needed, release the steam after about 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 200°C, and bake for another 20 minutes. Every oven is different—you’ll have to keep an eye on the bread. It’s best to tap the dough at the end to see if it’s cooked. Instead of olives, you can also use cherry tomatoes, onions, green olives with almond kernels, just coarse sea salt, sun-dried tomatoes, bell peppers, etc. You can also omit the olives from the dough.