Baking your own bread may seem complicated at first, but with the right recipe and a little practice, it's surprisingly easy. Best of all, the aroma of freshly baked bread and its incredible taste make every bit of effort worthwhile. This rustic olive bread gets its wonderfully Mediterranean flavor from our sliced green olives and pairs perfectly with mezes, salads, or simply with olive oil and flaky sea salt.
| Preparation time: | 2 hrs 30 mins (including resting time) |
| Difficulty: | Medium |
| Yield: | 1 loaf |
Ingredients
- 300 ml + 60 ml lukewarm water
- 450 g bread flour Type 550, plus extra for dusting
- 8 g dry yeast
- 10 g salt
- 120 g MANI Bläuel Green Olives al naturale, sliced
- Rice flour (for the proofing basket)
Instructions
- Combine 300 ml of lukewarm water, flour, yeast, and salt in a stand mixer (or mix by hand). Knead until a smooth dough forms.
- Add the olives (and, if necessary, the remaining 60 ml of water) and continue kneading on low speed until the dough is smooth, elastic, releases from the sides of the bowl, and the olives are evenly distributed.
- Lightly flour your work surface, transfer the dough, and gently press it into a rectangle. Fold each side toward the center once, then shape it into a round loaf.
- Place the dough into a proofing basket dusted with rice flour. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise until doubled in size.
- Place an empty cast-iron Dutch oven into the oven and preheat to 230°C (450°F) for 30–45 minutes.
- Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven, transfer the dough with the baking paper into the pot, and score the top 2–3 times with a sharp knife. Cover with the lid and return it to the oven.
- Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on. Remove the lid and continue baking for another 15–20 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and crisp.
- Remove the bread from the pot and let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
