Bread baguettes with olives, fresh herbs and beer

• 6 cups of unbleached flour + a bit to work
• 1/2 cup durum wheat semolina
• 2 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast “quick rise”
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fine salt
• 2 cups Honeybrown beer by Sleeman
• 1 cup hot water
• 1/4 cup of honey
• 1 1/2 cup small green stuffed olives, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons very finely chopped fresh chives
• 1 1/2 tablespoon very finely chopped fresh rosemary
• Olive oil
• Dried parsley, to taste

• In a very large bowl, add the flour, semolina, yeast and salt. Mix well.
• In another large bowl, add beer, hot water and honey. Mix to dilute the honey and set aside.
• In a third bowl add the olives, chives and rosemary. Toss and reserve.
• Add the beer mixture into the flour followed by 1 1/4 cup of the olive mixture (keep the rest to decorate). Using a spoon, mix for about 1 minute to obtain a good consistency and distribute the ingredients. Use your hands when the mixture becomes too thick. Lightly flour if the dough sticks too much to the hands. Form a ball, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for 2h30 at room temperature and far from cold drafts.
• Preheat oven to 450 °F.
• Throw the dough on a lightly floured work surface and add a little flour on it so that it does not stick to your hands. Separate the ball into 3 and form baguettes. Place your baguettes on one (or two) large baking sheet. (They will expand in the oven so be sure to leave a good space between each one.)
• Spread the remaining mixture of olives and herbs on the top of the baguettes and press lightly to make them penetrate a little bit. Add a small drizzle of olive oil on the top and sprinkle with dried parsley to taste.
• Place in oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 190 °F. Let cool 30 minutes before slicing and serving, if you are able to wait, of course.

Note : I tested two types of cooking by making these baguettes. On a regular baking tray and in a preheated Dutch oven 20 minutes at 450 °F. The cooking time and taste is exactly the same. The one in the Dutch oven seems to have given a more beautiful look at the crust of the top. If you are trying the Dutch oven method, shape your baguettes on parchment paper and put the paper in the casserole afterwards. Give me your comments!