I used my Stand mixer to make the dough. In the bowl of the mixer or a large bowl, add about ½ cup of warm water and add the sugar and yeast in it. Mix it well and leave it to proof for about 10 minutes. You will notice that the mixture is bubbly and frothy by the end of 10 minutes. If the mixture is not bubbly, then the yeast is not active and the mixture needs to be discarded. Start with a new batch of yeast.

Add about 2 ½ cups of flour, salt, thyme, olive oil and the remaining water and knead the dough. The dough will be very sticky.

Add the chopped olives and mix it very well to incorporate the olives evenly. The dough will still be sticky at this stage. Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in volume. It took me about 45 minutes.

Once the dough has risen, add the remaining flour little by little and knead until you get a soft and smooth dough. It should not be sticky anymore. Make sure that the dough is still soft.

Transfer the dough to the work surface and form a taut ball.

Prepare your dutch oven or a cast iron pan by lining it with parchment paper. Place the dough on the prepared pan.

Using a sharp knife, make few slits on the surface of the dough, cover it with a kitchen towel and let it rise until doubled in volume. It took me about 45 minutes.

When the dough is rising for the second time, preheat the oven to 425 F.

At the end of the rising time, boil about 6 cups of water on stove top. Fill a baking tray with the boiling water and place it on the bottom rack of the oven.

Once the dough has risen, place it on the center rack and close the oven door. The water underneath will be providing the steam when the bread is baking and this allows for a wonderful crusty bread and chewy interior.

Once the bread is baking, so not be tempted to open the oven too often. The steam will escape when you open the oven and the affect will not be the same.

By about 20 minutes, keep an eye on the bread. If you notice that the top of the bread is browning too quickly, tent the pan with a aluminum foil and continue baking.

Once the bread is uniformly brown and sounds hollow when tapped, remove it from the oven and let it cool on rack.

Slice the bread and enjoy it as is or as a sandwich.

The bread could also be baked without the steam. I loved the crusty bread and hence used steam when baking