Fresh Appetizers and Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups warm water, plus more if needed
• 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
• 6 Tbs California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup whole hulled pumpkin seeds
• 1 Tbs fresh thyme leaves
• 4 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ tsp fine sea salt

Directions

1. Pour the water into mixer bowl. Sprinkle on yeast and wait until it dissolves and becomes creamy, about 3 mins.  Add olive oil, pumpkin seeds, and thyme.  Stir flour and salt together and add to bowl.  
2. Using a dough hook on mixer, mix on slow speed until flour is absorbed.  Drizzle in a little more water as needed to moisten flour at bottom of bowl.  Mix just enough until dough comes together, about 2 mins.  It will still look rough and shaggy.
3. Turn off mixer and let dough rest 20 mins.  Restart mixer and knead on med speed until dough forms a ball and is elastic, about 3 mins.
4. Remove bowl from mixer, and cover bowl with plastic wrap.  Leave at room temperature until dough doubles, 2.5 – 3 hours.
5. Line 12 x 18 x 1 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
6. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface.  Divide into halves.  Shape each into rectangle.  Cover with kitchen towel and let rest 10 mins.  Pat and push with your hands, enlarging each rectangle to 6x10 inches.  Put onto baking pan.  Slide pan into a large plastic bag, shake top a few times to introduce air so the bag won’t stick to the dough. Tie ends of bag closed.  Leave at room temp until dough doubles, 1.5 hours.
7. Position racks on lowest level, in middle of oven.  Place an empty baking pan on lower rack.  Put a baking stone on middle rack.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees for 45 mins.
8. When dough is ready, bring 1 ½ cups water to a boil.
9. Remove baking pan from plastic bag.  Cut away parchment paper close to the risen dough.  Transfer one rectangle of dough (still on parchment paper) onto a rimless baking sheet.  Using your fingertips, dimple surface of dough.
10. Carefully slide the rectangle onto the baking stone.  Repeat with other rectangle dough.
11. Wearing oven mitts, immediately pour boiling water into the empty pan in the bottom of the oven and close door.  This will cause a burst of steam, careful.
12. Bake until breads are browned, about 30 mins.  Pull tip of paper under a loaf and remove from oven.  Repeat with other loaf.
13. Remove parchment paper and cool on rack.