This Easy Rustic Olive Bread recipe uses salty kalamata olives to add a depth of flavor to this rustic bread recipe!
Table of Contents
Why We Love This Olive Bread
- It is so easy to make this olive bread
- Only 7 Ingredients!
- You can make many variations of this bread – see the Variations section below.
- I find homemade bread to be wonderfully luxuriant.
- It is great to share! I adore this Kalamata olive bread recipe and can’t wait to bake a fresh loaf for our friends and family on Easter.
Recipe Ingredients
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Kalamata Olives: These salty, tangy, and slightly bitter olives lend the bread a distinct Mediterranean character, adding bursts of flavor and a contrasting texture to the soft crumb of the bread.
Garlic Powder: Adds a mild and slightly spicy garlic flavor to the bread, complementing the richness of the olives and giving depth to the overall taste profile.
Variations
Green Olive Bread: Swap the Kalamata olives with pitted, chopped green olives. These have a brighter, more briny flavor compared to Kalamatas.
Black Olive Bread: Swap the Kalamata olives with pitted, chopped black olives. Regular black olives, such as those commonly found in cans, are milder and less salty than Kalamatas.
Rosemary Olive Bread: Add 1-2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh rosemary to the dough along with the olives. The piney aroma of rosemary complements the salty tang of the olives beautifully.
Cheese and Olive Bread: Incorporate ½ cup of grated Parmesan or crumbled feta cheese into the dough. The saltiness of the cheese will enhance the overall savory flavor of the bread.
Sun-dried Tomato and Olive Bread: Mix in ⅓ cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes (drained if oil-packed) when adding the olives. The sweet and tart taste of sun-dried tomatoes pairs well with the olives and adds more Mediterranean flair to the bread.
How to Make Olive Bread
Here are all the steps to make this easy, homemade olive bread recipe.
Step #1: Stir together the yeast, flour, warm water, salt, garlic powder, and olive oil in the bowl of a stand mixer. Use a spatula to roughly combine the ingredients. Let rest for 15 minutes to activate the yeast.
Step #2: Fold in the chopped olives.
Step #3: Attach the dough hook and knead on medium for 5 minutes. Sprinkle in a bit more flour as needed if the dough won’t release from the sides of the bowl.
Step #4: Transfer the kneaded dough to an oiled bowl, cover, and allow to rise for 60 minutes in a warm place.
Step #5: Punch the dough down.
Step #6: Transfer the dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Use your hands to shape it into a loaf. This can be a round loaf as shown here or a more oblong loaf as shown in the photo at the top of this post.
Step #7: Allow to rise for another 60 minutes.
Step #8: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and place a second baking sheet on the bottom rack.
Step #9: Dust the loaf with flour. Use a serrated knife to make three shallow cuts across the top.
Step #10: Place the baking sheet containing the dough on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Toss a half cup of water onto the hot baking sheet on the bottom rack and close the door. Bake for 30 minutes.
Step #11: Let cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing with a sharp knife.
See, this is an easy olive bread recipe!
Look at that delicious texture! This kalamata bread is great to dip into olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can. For every teaspoon of instant yeast, use 1.25 teaspoons of active dry yeast. You might also need to let it proof a bit longer.
Yes, you can make the dough, let it rise for the first time, then punch it down and refrigerate. When ready to bake, take it out, shape, let it rise a second time, and then bake.
Absolutely. Mix the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and then knead by hand on a floured surface until smooth and elastic.
This bread pairs wonderfully with cheeses, cured meats, olive oil for dipping, soup, or Mediterranean dishes like hummus and tapenade.
Storage
You can store this bread in an airtight container on your counter for 5-7 days. If you are going to refrigerate this bread you can do so in an airtight container and it will last up to 2 weeks.
To freeze this Olive Bread wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and ensure no additional air is trapped inside. Then place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month.
When serving after refrigerating or freezing be sure that the bread has reached room temperature and then you are good to go!
If, for some reason, you have extra bread to use up, I highly recommend warming the bread and smothering it with butter, toasting it and smearing it with cream cheese, or turning it into croutons for an easy panzanella (bread salad).
Yummy! You can also enjoy this olive bread loaf with butter or cream cheese.
More Delicious Breads to Try
- Herb & Honey Loaf
- Authentic Povitica Bread Recipe
- Easy Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo)
- Spiced Pear and Pistachio Bread
Easy Rustic Olive Bread Recipe
RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup pitted - chopped Kalamata olives
Instructions
- Combine the first six ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Use a spatula to roughly combine the ingredients. Let rest for 15 minutes to activate the yeast.
- Fold in the olives.
- Attach the dough hook and knead on medium for 5 minutes. Sprinkle in a bit more flour as needed if the dough won't release from the sides of the bowl.
- Transfer the kneaded dough to an oiled bowl, cover, and allow to rise for 60 minutes in a warm place.
- Punch the dough down.
- Then transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Use your hands to shape it into a loaf.
- Allow to rise for another 60 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and place a second baking sheet on the bottom rack.
- Dust the loaf with flour and use a serrated knife to make three shallow cuts across the top.
- Place the baking sheet containing the dough on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Toss a half cup of water onto the hot baking sheet on the bottom rack and close the door. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing with a sharp knife.
VIDEO
Nutrition
The wonderful people over at Bob’s Red Mill were kind enough to sponsor this Easy Rustic Olive Bread recipe. I love supporting local companies!
After a few epic fails at making bread this is a triumph! Easy, looks and tastes fantastic
Hi Lisa, so glad you had a triumph with this recipe!!!
I’ve made this 7 times now and followed the recipe/instructions exact and each and every time it comes out perfect and delicious! This is a family favorite and now a regular in our household! I highly recommend this recipe and don’t stray from the recipe!
I wasn’t sure I should rate it because I did not follow the recipe as written. I don’t own a food processor so I mixed the ingredients with a wooden spoon in a large bowl and also kneaded it by hand. It came out great. My only addition was that I added about a 1/2 tsp of dried rosemary which goes great with the kalamata olives. I recommend squeezing a bit of the moisture from the olives before folding them in. I also did a poke test at 45 minutes to make sure the dough was not overproofed. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Hi Esperanza, yes, thank you for the rating and for sharing your changes, they sound delicious!
My favourite bread in the world! When I was younger, we always got an olive and garlic loaf from the shop but they stopped making it 🙁 years later I found this recipe and it is just like what I loved before but better! My only note is that I add the olives in within the last two minutes of kneading and I knead it by hand because the dough hook is very rough (first time I made this the olives basically disintegrated and made a grey purple dough) and smashes up the olives a lot. It’s also important to make sure they’re as dry as possible otherwise it can be difficult for them to stay in the dough. Great recipe!
Hi Tash, thanks for the 5 star review and for sharing your tips!
I love rustic bread and rustic olive bread is even better! This was a great recipe and will definitely be making it again and again….