(Olive Oil Bread from Languedoc)

An electric mixer is needed for this
(or a very strong arm)

2x7g packets dried yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
250ml warm water
6 tablespoons good olive oil
2 large eggs
Grated zest of 1 orange
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon orange flower water (or orange juice)
675g strong white flour

Mix together the yeast, the sugar and the warm water in your mixer bowl and leave them for about ten minutes to froth up.
To this add the olive oil, the eggs,the zest of the orange and lemon and the orange flower water and mix all these together.
Put the mixer on to a low speed and add the flour a little at a time using the dough hook.
Continue until you have used all the flour and the mixture becomes a soft ball of dough.
Continue kneading this dough, either in the mixer with the dough hook or by hand foe five minutes more.
Drop some olive oil in a large bowl and put the dough in.
Turn the dough in the oil and then cover with some cling film and then leave at room temperature until the dough has doubled in size.
Then take the dough out and give it another brief kneading.
Divide the dough between two 1kg baking tins which you have painted inside with olive oil and leave them to rise again at room temperature until they reach the top of the tins.
Preheat the oven to 200C, 400F, Gas 6. and cook at this temperature for about 35 mts.
This is delicious for breakfast with home made jam.
The French have an expression,
“Longue, comme un jour sans pain” for a long dull day.