Black Olive and Red Pepper Bread

Yield: Three loaves.. Mix the water, yeast and flour in a bowl and either mix with a bread hook or stir vigorously for 3 to 5 minutes to form a smooth elastic batter. Scrape into a 2-quart plastic container. Let the sponge rise at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours until it rises completely and begins to collapse. The starter is now ready to use. To make the bread, combine the yeast and warm water in a large bowl and let stand for 3 minutes. Add the cool water and 1 1/2 cups of the starter and mix with your fingers for 2 minutes until the mixture looks milky and slightly foaming. Add the flour and salt and mix with your fingers to incororporate the flour. Continue folding the dough over itself until it gathers into sticky mass. Turn out on a lightly floured surface and knead for about 3 minutes until the dough become supple and elastic, using as little additional flour as possible. The dough should be smooth and slightly firm. Sprinkle flour on the work surface, pat the dough into a rectangle, cover with a towel and let rest for 5 minutes. Spread the olives and red peppers over the dough and press them into it. Roll the dough into a loose cylinder and knead very gently for about 2 minutes to incorporate the olives and the peppers. Allow the dough to rise for 1 hour at room temperature and then refrigerate overnight. Bring the dough to room temperature for 2 hours. Shape into 3 round loaves, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 2 more hours until doubled. Thirty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. When risen, place the three loaves on bread stones or baking sheets and bake, misting the oven gently with a plant sprayer. Mist with water every minute for the first five minutes of baking. Try not to hit the loaves; just humidify the oven. After 15 minutes reduce the temperature to 400. Bake up to 15 minutes more, or until golden. Cool on rack for 45 minutes and serve.