Puccia (Olive Studded Rolls)

Title:
Puccia (Olive Studded Rolls)

Yield:
12 Lg. rolls

Categories:
Bakery,
Italian,
Bread




Ingredients:





 1 1/4 ts Dried yeast


   1/3 c  Warm water


     3 c  Water at room temperature


     1 c  Biga Pugliese


 5 1/2 c  Unbleached all-purpose flour


     1 c  Whole-wheat flour


     1 tb Salt


 4 1/3 oz Small, meaty black olives in


          -- water or brine, pitted


          Cornmeal






 Stir the yeast into the warm water in a large bowl or heavy mixer. Let


 proof for 10 minutes.  Add the remaining water & the biga & mix until well


 blended. Add the flours & mix until the dough comes together, 1 to 2


 minutes, although it will not come away from the sides of the bowl. With


 very wet hands, knead until the dough is very silky, soft & elasticy. Knead


 on a lightly floured board to eliminate the stickiness. Knead in the olives


 by hand to ensure that they remain whole. Place dough in a lightly oiled


 bowl & let rise, covered, until tripled, 3 to 4 hours. Pour the wet dough


 out of the bowl onto a floured work surface. Do not punch it down. Flour


 the top & divide into 12 pieces (or 16 if you want smaller rolls). Have a


 bowl of water handy to keep your hands very wet. Flatten each piece & roll


 it up lengthwise.  Pat them flat, turn the dough 90 degrees & roll them up


 again.  Shape each piece into a ball. Set on a floured baking sheet. Toss
a


 hailstorm of flour over the tops & cover with a heavy cloth. Leave until


 doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Preheat the oven to 425F. Bake the rolls until


 they are crusty & golden, about 25 to 30 minutes. VARIATIONS: Puccia di


 Grano Duro.  Substitute 7 1/2 c durum flour for the flours above. Knead the


 dough for an extra two minutes. Puccia di Uva Passa. Use raisins, softened


 in water for 30 minutes, in place of the olives. Pizzi. Add 1/4 ts to 3/8


 ts hot pepper flakes to the vegetables of Cucuzzara (see recipe) & folding


 them into the dough in place of the olives.