I baked a loaf of Italian olive bread this morning. The warm, chewy and slightly salty flavor has been on my mind for several days, so I finally gave in to my cravings. Italian olive bread is similar to the specialty bread that is served in Italian restaurants. The warm bread is perfect for dipping in seasoned olive oil (a combination of sea salt, granulated garlic, red pepper flakes). When it becomes a day old I like to toast a couple of slices, then add tomato bruschetta topping.
Any type of olive will work in this recipe. I used black olives in this particular loaf, but it’s traditionally made with Gaeta olives. I can’t find Gaeta olives around here, so I usually use pitted black olives. I also like to use Italian oil cured olives. These olives have strong olive oil and salt flavors. Greek Kalamata olives work well, too. Kalamata olives are slightly salty and are usually packed in olive oil and wine vinegar. I recommend reducing the olives from 3/4 cup to 1/2 cup if using Italian oil cured olives or Greek Kalamata olives in this recipe. I think the bread might be too salty if you don’t reduce the oil cured or Kalamata olives.
We usually slice the bread as soon as I take it out of the oven. It’s hot and still a bit doughy inside and melts away in your mouth. My husband covers the hot bread with butter, but I like to eat it plain or dip it in seasoned olive oil. If you want the bread to slice without collapsing, then let it cool for about 30 minutes or until it is slightly warm or room temperature. The bread will slice evenly and it won’t be doughy. Besides the great taste of the warm, chewy bread, freshly baked Italian olive bread will make your house smell like a bakery—that’s a plus for me.
Italian Olive Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1-1/4 cups warm water
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 3/4 cup pitted Gaeta or black olives chopped
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, pour water over yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves and is bubbly.
- In a large bowl, mix together flour and salt. Make a well in the middle of flour and add yeast mixture; mix well.
- Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is firm and springy, working in butter and olives. Shape dough into a ball.
- Coat large bowl with 1/2 of olive oil. Place dough in center of bowl and cover with a dishcloth. Let rise for about 1 hour in warm place or until dough doubles in size.
- Punch down dough. Cover with dishcloth, and let stand for about 1-1/2 hours or until it doubles in size.
- Heat over to 475 degrees. Grease baking sheet with remaining olive oil. Bake bread until golden brown, about 30-35 minutes.
DISCLOSURE
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and buy the product, I will receive a very small commission of the sales price. This helps me keep Olives & Okra alive. I use all of the products listed in this post routinely, and I trust the companies that make them.
Yum! I imagine your house smells absolutely amazing when this is baking. Happy FF, and have a marvelous weekend! 🙂
I’m happy to have come across your blog. Your olive recipes, including this one are a great resource for an olive fan like me. Thanks for coming to the party and bringing this delicious bread.
These look delish! My daughter LOVES black olives..like she’ll actually drink the olive juice from the container once they’re gone. Thanks for the recipe!
Just popped by from Bloggers Pit Stop, this looks delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe, I am going to have to try it out!
This sounds and looks divine! 🙂 Pinned!
I will take an entire plate of this right now please and thank you! Looks so good, totally pinning 🙂 have a great day! xo
A good looking Italian Olive Bread loaf. I am sure it tastes good, I would put butter on it.
I love this bread, it looks so delicious. I also love the idea of it toasted with sun dried tomato tapenade! Stumbled, yummed and pinned. Thank you so much for sharing it with us at the Hearth and Soul Hop.
Ths looks like it would be great with pasta. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe at The Recipe Sharing Pin and Yum Party! I hope to see you next week. Pinned and Yummed.
Please visit Thursday Favorite Things for more sharing fun!
Sherry, This looks delicious and so easy to prepare! Thanks for sharing your recipe with us at #Snickerdoodle Sunday! Pinned and shared 🙂
~Laurie
Your bread looks so good Sherry! Thanks for sharing with us at Throwback Thursday. Can’t wait to see what you bring to the party this week. Pinned!
Italian olive bread looks delicious thanks for sharing with Hearth and soul blog hop. pinning and tweeting.
We’re huge olive fans, my kids and I! Black olives are my favorite, so this is a recipe I need to try!
I would love to have a loaf of this bread right now. It looks delicious and your house must smell amazing when you’re baking it. Thanks for sharing it at Fiesta Friday!
This sounds delicious! Will definitely add this to my list of goodies to make ASAP! Thanks for sharing at our craft party! Hope you’ll join us again this Thursday at 7pm EST.
This looks tasty! Thanks for linking up at Merry Monday! Pinned
I’m not a fan of olives, but my husband and kids are. They would love this!
People seem to either totally love or completely hate olives. I love them just about anyway.
I don’t like to eat olives straight out of the jar, but my sis in law made this olive potato salad for Easter and now I’m intrigued.. this bread could be very good! #HomeMattersParty
I know…people either like or hate olives. I love them!
This sounds heavenly!
I would love for you to share this with my FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
Thank you!
looks delicious. pinned for later 😉
This is a great recipe! I made a loaf yesterday and it turned out spectacular, lovely crunchy crust and tender interior. I didn’t have Gaeta olives but did have some oil cured black olives with a little bit of kalamata and green queen olives to fill the measuring cup. I also used a warm oven to get the dough to rise well and that worked a treat.