Green Olive and Herb Bread

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups bread flour
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast (1 standard packet)
  • 2 cups warm water (around 100-110 F)
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup whole Castelvetrano olives, pitted
  • 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

Make the Dough

In a large bowl, whisk together the bread flour, whole wheat flour, kosher salt, and instant yeast.

Add the warm water and olive oil. Mix with a spatula or your hands until a shaggy, sticky dough forms and there are no dry patches of flour.

Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for ~30 minutes.

Fold in the Olives and Herbs

After the rest, you’ll perform a series of three “stretch and folds” to strengthen the dough and incorporate the additions.

Before the first set, sprinkle about a third of the olives and herbs over the top of the dough. Wet your hands, grab a portion of the dough, stretch it upwards, and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat, adding more olives and herbs with each fold until they’re all in.

You’ll do two more sets of these folds, one every 30 minutes, for a total of three sets over a 1.5-hour period.

Shape and Proof the Dough

After the final set of folds, let the dough rise at room temperature for another ~hour, or until it’s puffy.

Gently scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Shape it into a tight ball by gently pulling the sides down and tucking them under.

Place the dough, seam-side up, in a well-floured proofing basket or a bowl lined with a floured kitchen towel.

Cover the basket and place it in the fridge to proof overnight, for at least 12 hours and up to 24.

Bake the Bread

When you’re ready to bake, place a Dutch oven in your oven and preheat it to 450 F.

Once the oven is hot, carefully remove the Dutch oven. Gently flip the cold dough out of the proofing basket and into the hot pot.

Score the top of the loaf with a sharp knife or razor blade.

Cover the pot and bake for ~20 minutes. Then, remove the lid and continue to bake for another ~20-30 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden brown.

Let the bread cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Green Olive and Herb Bread

This is a rustic, crusty loaf loaded with whole green olives and fresh herbs. The dough is wet, which creates a chewy, open interior, and a long, cold proof in the fridge is key for developing a deep flavor.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Rise, Proof, Cooling14 hours
Total Time15 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups bread flour
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast 1 standard packet
  • 2 cups warm water around 100-110 F
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup whole Castelvetrano olives pitted
  • 2 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

Instructions

  • Whisk together bread flour, whole wheat flour, salt, and yeast in large bowl.
  • Add warm water and olive oil, mix until shaggy dough forms with no dry flour.
  • Cover and rest 30 minutes.
  • Perform first stretch and fold, incorporating 1/3 of olives and herbs. Repeat folds every 30 minutes for total of 3 sets.
  • Let dough rise 1 hour until puffy.
  • Shape into tight ball on floured surface.
  • Place seam-side up in floured proofing basket or lined bowl.
  • Refrigerate 12-24 hours.
  • Preheat Dutch oven in 450°F oven.
  • Transfer cold dough to hot Dutch oven, score top.
  • Bake covered 20 minutes.
  • Remove lid, bake 20-30 minutes until deeply golden.
  • Cool completely on wire rack before slicing.

Notes

Use room temperature olives and herbs. Dough will be sticky – wet hands help with handling.
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michelle

Hi, I'm Michelle!

I'm a corporate finance manager turned full-time recipe creator. Here you'll find hundreds of Southern baking recipes, decadent cakes, irresistible cookies and so much more! With almost 100 recipes, there is something for everyone.
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