Olive Obsession: Kalamata Olive Rosemary Bread

Whether you mix the bread in a bread machine or by hand, this kalamata olive rosemary bread fabulous bread for any olive lover!

If your child loves a particular food or recipe, you find yourself bending over backwards to make this dish to bring them happiness. Middle-Child has a number of oddities about him that make him stand out in a crowd.

And it’s not middle-child-syndrome, as he was born this way and has acted in this manner from birth- when he was the baby in the family, before middle-child-status. One of his funniest habits, let’s call it, is his obsessive compulsive qualities.

When he likes something he LOVES it, and I’m sorry for you if you serve him something he doesn’t like.

Middle-Child is obsessed with pickles, olives, artichokes and hearts of palm. When Santa came to visit last Christmas, a small jar of olives was found in his stocking. When family members come over to our house, they bring him olives or pickles, and get a big hug and smile in return.

At super bowl parties, you can find my little man quietly munching on the little green cocktail olives and cleaning out the bowl of condiments.

One of his favorite breads is, you guessed it, olive bread. But after shelling out $5 at my local Albertsons for a small round of olive bread, I finally began baking my own.

My main motivation was remembering that I had my mother’s old bread machine tucked away in the cabinets. If the machine did all the hard work, it would save me oodles of time and frustration!

Making olive bread in a bread machine

My first batch of olive bread, wasn’t so successful. I added the olives too late and they were baked all clumped together on the bottom of the loaf.

He didn’t mind. He gobbled up the olive-ridden portion of the bread in no time.

My second loaf proved a success, but I didn’t like the looks of the bread machine loaf of olive delight. Also, the olive bits were so small and the bread was purple. But, it tasted great. I also didn’t like the shape of the loaf and I wanted a crunchier crust.

Making olive bread without a bread machine

I decided to use the bread machine to mix my bread dough and let it rise in there. After awhile, I ended up ditching the machine altogether. I actually enjoy kneading bread – it’s relaxing and therapeutic to transform a gloppy sticky mess into a smooth ball of bread dough.

Also, we bought an oven that has a proof setting – score! Instead of hunting around for a warm place for my bread to rise, I stick in the oven, set it to proof and let it do it’s magic. It takes about 2 hours for the dough to double in size.

I baked the bread in a 400ºF oven for 20 minutes. the result was a whiter bread with big chunks of olives mixed into it. This was exactly what I wanted in an olive bread. 

If I had the machine mix in the olives, I would get a purplish-loaf of bread, with most of the olives completely blended in.

And Middle-Child is eating olive bread with dinner. He is eating olive bread sandwiches for lunch. He is eating olive bread for breakfast!

“My mom makes the best chicken noodle soup!” he brags.

“Mommy, I want some more olive bread!” he begs.

Of course, not everything I make is golden. One night I made shrimp. Everyone loved it. Everyone, but him.

“Mommy, this tastes HORRIBLE! It’s the worst food I’ve ever tasted.”

It can stab you right in the heart, especially when you’ve spent hours trying to get the damn meal on the table.

But, he can’t help it. He really doesn’t like shrimp.

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Yield: serves 10

Kalamata Olive Rosemary Bread

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Whether you mix the bread in a bread machine or by hand, this is fabulous bread for any olive-lover.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup warm water (100ºF)
• 1/2 tsp quick active dry yeast
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus 1/4 cup more for kneading
• 1 TBS sugar
• 1 TBS fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 tsp to brush on the top
• 2/3 cup coarsely chopped kalamata olives

Instructions

1. In a small bowl or measuring cup mix together the yeast and warm water. Let it rest for 5 to 7 minutes until yeast is foamy.

2. In a larger bowl whisk together flour, sugar, rosemary, and salt. Create a well in the center of the bowl and pour in 2 tablespoons olive oil and foamy yeast mixture.

3. Using a fork at first, start mixing dry ingredients into wet ingredients until a coarse dough is formed. Using well-floured hands, continue to mix dough until a rough ball is formed.

4. Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead adding in the chopped olives as you work. Continue to sprinkle in more flour (up to 1/4 cup) while you knead until dough is smooth and not sticky, about 10 minutes.

5. Place dough ball onto a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and place in a warm area to rise until it doubles in size, about 2 to 3 hours.

6. Preheat oven to 400ºF.

7. Remove the towel and cut two lines into dough. Brush with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and bake until bread is golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. 

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 177Total Fat: 7.2gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 352mgCarbohydrates: 24.8gFiber: 0.9gSugar: 1.3gProtein: 3g