Olive Oil Bread

If you love fresh bread, you’ll love this olive oil bread. It’s is an easy bread recipe to make, once you’ve made the dough. I discovered Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day, By Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois in 2010, and it changed they way I bake forever. I immediately got rid of my bread maker and never looked back. The dough is versatile enough to be used for bread, pizza dough, pita bread or even cinnamon rolls.

The dough stays fresh in the fridge for about 2 weeks, so when you’re ready to make a loaf, grab a hunk of dough, and you’re already past the hard part. Instead of baking a full sized loaf, you can make mini loaves or dinner rolls as well. There’s also no need for that pesky rise, punch down, knead, rise. (This post was originally published June 6, 2011).

If I’m having a Mediterranean meal, I like to incorporate chopped kalamata olives and fresh herbs into the dough. Of course, it’s always there for a fast Pizza Dinner, too.

The basic dough is best for homemade bread and baguettes. It makes a really nice crusty bread. I use the enriched dough for King Cake, or Cinnamon Rolls.

How to make this olive oil bread recipe

I like to use this Airtight Container to both rise the dough, and store it in the fridge. The recipe below will make 4, one pound loaves.

Ingredients:

• 2 3/4 C. lukewarm water (105 degrees F.)
• 1½ Tbsp active dry yeast or about 1½ packets
• 1½ Tbsp kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1/4 C. extra virgin olive oil
• 6½ C. unbleached all-purpose flour

​Method:

Making the dough

• Mix the yeast, salt, sugar, and olive oil with the warm water into a big 5 or 6 qt. container or large bowl.

• Mix in the flour, use a spoon or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook to incorporate all the flour.

Cover bowl with a cloth or use a plastic container.

• Cover (not airtight), and allow to rest at room temperature on your counter for around 2 hours. It will rise and then collapse.

• Now, just stick it in the refrigerator, covered, until you’re ready to use it. The dough will be pretty soft and sticky looking as this point.

Making the bread

• When you’re ready to bake, grab a hunk of dough, about 1 pound. Turn out dough on a lightly floured surface so that it’s not sticky and form into a round ball. I am making a basic “boule” or ball shaped loaf.

• Let it rest for about 45 min. on a pizza peel or baking sheet covered with cornmeal. Cover with a tea towel.

• The cornmeal helps the loaf slide easily off the peel and on to the stone in the oven. You can also use a Cast Iron Skillet if you don’t have a pizza stone!
• Don’t worry if it hasn’t risen as much as you think it should, it rises more in the oven.

• Heat pizza stone or cast iron skillet for 20 minutes at 450*. Place an empty broiler tray on the lower shelf of the oven.
• Lightly dust top of loaf with flour and with a sharp knife slash a pattern into the top if desired.

• Transfer loaf to pizza stone or cast iron skillet, and add a cup of hot water to a pan on the rack below.

• This will make a lot of steam and give the loaf a crusty exterior. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch. It should sound hollow when you thump your finger on the bottom. For best results, allow the bread to cool completely before slicing.

This warm crusty bread is delicious with butter, Truffle Butter, or olive oil.

Leftover bread? Try this Tuscan classic, Pappa al Pomodoro.

Notes:

• For rosemary bread, incorporate fresh rosemary into the dough after the first rise.
• If a one pound loaf is too much, make small loaves.
• For a more structured loaf, bake the bread in a loaf pan.
• For dinner rolls, form dough into small balls and adjust baking time to 20-25 minutes.
• Because this fresh bread has no preservatives, it won’t last as long as commercial bread. 
• Wrap bread well and store at room temperature for up to three days.

Looking for more Mediterranean dishes?

I use this pizza stone when baking, which is perfect for both pizza and olive oil bread loaves.

Classic Caprese Salad

Summer Pasta

Mediterranean Sausage Soup

Olive Oil Bread

Cynthia

This olive oil bread is easy to make. You'll feel like an artisan baker. From the book, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day by Zoe Francois and Jeff Hertzberg.

5 from 72 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

rising 45 minutes mins

Course Bread

Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean

Servings 4 loaves

Calories 1547 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 3/4 C. lukewarm water (105 degrees F.)
• 1½ Tbsp yeast or about 1½ packets
• 1½ Tbsp kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1/4 C. extra virgin olive oil
• 6½ C. unbleached all-purpose

Instructions

 

• Mix the yeast, salt, sugar, and olive oil with the warm water into a big 5 or 6 qt. container.
• Mix in the flour, use a spoon or a food processor to incorporate all the flour.
• Cover (not airtight), and allow to rest on your counter for around 2 hours. It will rise and then collapse. Now, just stick it in the refrigerator,covered, until you're ready to use it. The dough will be pretty soft and sticky looking as this point.
• When you're ready to bake, grab a hunk of dough, (you determine how much, depending on what you're planning on making) add enough flour to the dough so that it's not sticky and form into a ball. I am making a basic "boule" or ball shaped loaf.
• Let it rest for about 45 min. on a pizza peel or baking sheet covered with cornmeal. The cornmeal helps the loaf slide easily off the peel and on to the stone in the oven.
• Don’t worry if it hasn’t risen as much as you think it should, it rises more in the oven.
• Heat pizza stone for 20 minute at 450*. Place an empty broiler tray on another shelf.
• Dust top of loaf with flour and slash a pattern into the top.
• Transfer loaf to pizza stone and add a cup of hot water to a pan on the rack below.
• This will make a lot of steam and give the loaf a crusty exterior. Bake for 30 minutes or until nicely browned and firm to the touch. It should sound hollow when you thump your finger on the bottom.

Nutrition

Serving: 1loafCalories: 1547kcalCarbohydrates: 297gProtein: 40gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gSodium: 2625mgPotassium: 426mgFiber: 11gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 8IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 18mg

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