Herbed Olive Bread

I love making bread. There is something very therapeutic and relaxing about it. That being said, I decided it was time to bake some bread again. And I had something specific in mind for something I am going to make tonight. You will just have to wait a little longer to see what that will be though. A little anticipation is a good thing. 🙂

Yesterday’s bread which will be part of tonight’s dinner, as well as last night’s, was an herbed olive bread. I have made many different versions of olive bread, but I think this one is my favorite, at least so far. This is a Tuscan bread that can easily be a meal in itself, with a little cheese and wine on the side.

Herbed Olive Bread

I like mixing and matching my olives, and rather than chop them like a tapenade, I prefer to slice them. This way you can really see the olives in the bread, and they are so colorful and pretty.

1 package or 2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast

2 cups warm water

4 1/2-5 cups flour

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 TBSP olive oil +more for oiling the bowl

1 cup sliced olives

2 TBSP fresh basil, chiffonade, or 2 tsp dried basil

2 TBSP fresh oregano, chopped, or 2 tsp dried oregano

Sprinkle the yeast over the water, whisk together and let set for about 10 minutes or so, until it becomes frothy.

Combine the flour, herbs, olives and salt together. You can use regular all-purpose flour or a combination of all-purpose and bread flour, equal portions of both. I just used all-purpose flour this time. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.

When the yeast water is frothy, add 1 TBSP of olive oil to the mix. This time, I used basil olive oil.

Mix everything together and knead until you have a smooth, elastic dough and shape into a ball. Cover and let rise for about 1 1/2 hours in a warm spot. Let the dough rise until it has doubled in size.

When the dough is ready, punch it down and divide into two equal portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into two balls once again and place on a slightly oiled baking pan. Dust the dough with a light topping of flour, cover and let rise again for another hour.

Preheat the oven to 400* F or 190*C. Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove and let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing. Then either dip it in olive oil or lather it up with butter, and enjoy.

Bread is the food of life. Take your daily bread and enjoy. 🙂 Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.