Olive Bread

Olive Bread

  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 55 mins
  • Servings: 24

    • Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cupswater( 110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
  • 2tablespoonsactive dry yeast
  • 1teaspoonmolasses
  • 2tablespoonsolive oil
  • 1tablespoonsalt
  • 7 1/2 cupsbread flour
  • 1cupkalamata olive, pitted and chopped
  • 2tablespoonschopped fresh rosemary
  • 1tablespoonsesame seeds(optional)

    • Directions

  • Place water, yeast, and molasses in a mixing bowl; stir to mix.
  • Let stand for a few minutes until mixture is creamy and foamy.
  • Add olive oil and salt; mix.
  • Add flour, about a cup at a time, until dough is too stiff to stir.
  • Add olives and fresh herbs.
  • Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board.
  • Knead, adding flour as needed to keep from being sticky, until smooth and elastic.
  • Place in well oiled bowl, and turn to coat the dough surface with oil.
  • Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about an hour or so.
  • Punch the dough down, split into two pieces, and form into two round loaves.
  • Place on greased baking sheet.
  • Spray with cold water and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
  • Let loaves rise for 25 to 30 minutes.
  • Bake at 400°F (205°C) for about 45 minutes, or until they are brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

    • Reviews

  • “This is a nice, dense and moist bread.I halved the recipe and kneaded it in the bread machine using 1/3 whole wheat flour.I used dried rosemary- ground it in a spice grinder and used about 1/2 tsp. and it was PLENTY.I made a round, let it rise, and then cooked it in a dutch oven (cloche style) and it was a superb, crusty offering for fondue.I am looking forward to making sandwiches with the rest!Next time I will continue reducing the amount of rosemary, and add more olives.Texture and taste are bakery quality.”

  • “This bread is delicious!!! The loaves took about 30-35 minutes to bake in my oven and they looked beautiful when they were done.A perfectly browned crispy outside with a moist,soft and chewy inside.It was so good that we finished half a loaf in a matter of minutes.This recipe is definitely a keeper.Thanks for sharing.”

  • “This was a lovely bread! I halved the recipe as I was only making it for the two of us, and it worked out very well. I did not have molasses, so I left it out! We both thought that the rosemary was a bit overpowering, even though I used fresh rosemary from the garden – 1 tablespoon for half of the recipe – it was VERY strong tasting in the bread! I proved the bread in my bread machine which saved me some time – and I made it into a rectangular shape, rather than round. Lovely bread – we both enjoyed it with hot soup for lunch. Thanks! FT:-)”

  • “I tried this bread based on the reviews and have to say, I didn’t enjoy it. I thought the rosemary took away from the flavour of the olives and there was nowhere near enough olive oil in it – previous olive breads I have made have contained a lot more olive oil to give a nice moist bread and enhance the flavour of the olives – I found this quite bland in comparison.”

  • “The first time I killed the poor yeast but the second time, just now did it right. It tastes amazing!”

  • “A really great, moist bread.I used spelt instead of wheat and didn’t use any rosemary because I was out.Next time I think I would add more olives.. and I think it would be absolutely amazing with the rosemary the recipe calls for!I will use this one again for sure.”

  • “This tasted wonderful. We ate one loaf fresh and froze one to eat the week after. We made a dipping sauce of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for it and it was a great combination.”

  • “I made this bread last weekend because my boyfriend loves the kalamata olive bread at Albertsons.He said that this bread was even better and begged me to make it for him every week!I thought this was a very flavorful bread and the herbs are the best.I would probably add less salt next time.”

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