Olive Bread
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
50 mins
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Poolish and rising time
14 hrs
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Total Time
15 hrs 5 mins
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Servings
1 loaf
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Calories
2317 kcal
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Course
Bread
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Cuisine
Mediterranean
Olive Bread
Description
Olive Bread uses a poolish pre-ferment prepared the night before by combining flour, water, and a small amount of instant yeast, which ferments at room temperature until bubbly and risen. The main dough incorporates this poolish with additional bread flour, chopped olives that have been drained and dried, freshly chopped rosemary, salt, yeast, malt powder, and olive oil. The dough is mixed by hand and rested, then undergoes a series of folds to develop gluten and distribute ingredients evenly. The malt powder helps with crust browning though it is optional. This bread yields a loaf with a chewy crumb and a flavorful bite from the olives and rosemary, suitable for slicing with meals or using for sandwiches.
The slow fermentation of the poolish adds depth to the flavor, while the olive oil softens the crumb slightly. The method demands some time for fermentation and resting but produces bread with a distinctive taste and texture. It's ideal for those who enjoy savory breads with Mediterranean ingredients.
Guidelines on hydration and yeast percentages support consistent results. The recipe's notes specify careful drying of olives to avoid excess moisture, which can affect dough handling and baking. Bread makers using instant yeast SAF brand and optional malt powder are noted for better outcomes. The loaf size and calorie estimate reflect a generously sized bread for sharing.
Ingredients
For the poolish
- 1 1/4 cups (160g) bread flour
- 3/4 cup (160g) water 80f
- 1/8 teaspoon (.35g) instant yeast I use SAF brand
For the olive bread
- 1 1/2 cups pitted olives chopped, drained, and patted dry, can use kalamata, oil-cured, Castelvetrano
- 1 tablespoon rosemary leaves chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt fine sea salt
- 3 1/4 cups (380g) bread flour
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (4.5g) instant dry yeast I use SAF brand
- 2 teaspoons diastatic malt powder optional
- 1 cup (245g) water 80f
Instructions
Make the poolish
- The night before baking the bread, mix together the ingredients and cover overnight in a 70f room. The poolish will be ready the next morning when it has risen and is covered with small bubbles. It should take 10-12 hours but can be more or less depending on room temp. The poolish needs to be used before it collapses or it should be refrigerated if you want to make the bread later in the day.
For the olive bread
- In a large bowl or square container, mix together the flour, yeast, diastatic malt powder, and salt.
- Add the water, poolish, olives, rosemary, and olive oil and mix by hand to combine. Stretch the dough to thoroughly mix it. This should take about 5 minutes to mix. Take your time. Cover and let the dough sit for 60 minutes.
- After 60 minutes bring the dough to a floured work surface and lay it out. Using a dough scraper with a bit of bench flour get under the dough and pull it to stretch then fold the dough over itself and rotate it 90 degrees. Stretch and fold the dough 3 more times while rotating after each stretch and fold. Use the scraper and gently place the dough back into the container. After 30 minutes, do another 4 stretch and folds. Note: You can also stretch and fold the dough right in the container. To do this dip hands into a bowl of water before each stretch and fold. Either way works fine!
- Being gentle to not degas the dough, form a round loaf shape. Place the dough ball seam side down into a bowl lined with a piece of parchment paper. Cover with a towel or plastic and let it rise for 90 minutes or until it approximately doubles in size.
- 45 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450f and set the rack towards the middle level leaving enough space to hold a Dutch oven with its lid. Place a 5-6 quart covered Dutch oven onto the rack and close the oven.
- Right before 45 minutes have elapsed, score the dough with a 1/4" deep slit running the length of the loaf at a shallow angle.
- Remove the Dutch oven from the oven being careful to avoid burning yourself. Remove the lid and quickly grabbing each side of the parchment paper place the loaf with the parchment paper into the Dutch oven and cover. Place the Dutch oven into the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes remove the Dutch oven's lid and let the bread bake for another 25-35 minutes. The loaf is finished cooking when it feels hollow when knocked on. If it doesn't feel hollow, simply place the loaf straight onto the oven rack and bake for another 5 minutes and check again.
- Once finished baking, place the olive bread onto a wire rack to cool and wait at least 90 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
- The bread uses a 75% hydration dough with 1% instant dry yeast and 2% fine sea salt for balanced fermentation and flavor.
- Diastatic malt powder is optional but aids in browning the crust.
- Ensure olives are well-drained and patted dry to prevent excess moisture in the dough.
- SAF instant yeast is recommended for consistency in rise and texture.
- The recipe makes one large loaf; calorie count reflects this size.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 1loaf
Amount Per Serving
Calories 2317 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 2317kcal | 116% |
| Carbohydrates | 424.7g | 142% |
| Protein | 57.5g | 115% |
| Fat | 40.8g | 63% |
| Saturated Fat | 5.7g | 29% |
| Sodium | 6420mg | 268% |
| Potassium | 595mg | 13% |
| Fiber | 21g | 84% |
| Sugar | 1.5g | 3% |
| Calcium | 261mg | 26% |
| Iron | 32mg | 178% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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