Olive Bread
Who said bread-making has to be difficult? This deliciously rustic black olive loaf will transport you to the Mediterranean in one mouthful and fill your kitchen with the comforting smell of freshly-baked bread. We suggest dipping the finished product into our Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Categories: Breads, Pizza & Panini, Vegan, Vegetarian
Serves: Makes 2 loaves
Preparation time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 35 mins
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp Filippo Berio Olive Oil, plus extra for brushing
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 350g strong white flour
- 150g rye or wholemeal spelt flour
- 7g sachet fast action dried yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 200ml warm water
- 175g black olives, pitted and roughly chopped
Method
- Heat the oil in a small frying pan, cook the onion over a gentle heat for about 5 minutes until soft but not coloured. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Sift the flours into a large bowl, stir in the yeast, salt and sugar. Make a well in the flour and pour in the water, the onions and the oil. Knead well with your hands for about 5 minutes until the dough is elastic, smooth and shiny, this part can also be done in a food mixer using a dough hook.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 2-3 minutes. Flatten the dough and spread the chopped olives over, fold over then continue to knead until the olives are evenly distributed.
- Divide the dough in half. Each portion can be shaped into a sausage or ball shape and transferred to a lightly oiled baking sheet. Alternatively, place each piece into an oiled loaf tin. Brush the tops of loaves lightly with oil, then, with a sharp knife, slash the top several times.
- Cover with either a damp tea towel or cling film and put into a warm place for about 1 - 1½ hours until risen.
- Preheat oven to 220ºC/425ºF/Gas Mark 7 and bake for 15 minutes, reduce the temperature to 190ºC/375ºF/Gas Mark 5 and cook for a further 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
