Olive Cheese Bread
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Made with green olives, cheddar cheese, and fresh rosemary, this rustic olive cheese bread recipe remains one of my favorites. A few slices of this homemade bread make a lovely accompaniment to a bowl of soup.
Why Do I Love This Olive Cheese Bread?
I might be in the minority, but I think olives belong in everything. I’ll eat them as a snack, on a salad, as a pizza topping, in a pasta with tomatoes and anchovies. Salty, briny, umami deliciousness. It always baffles me when I meet someone who doesn’t like olives. Yet, like mushrooms and cilantro, they’re one of those incredibly divisive foods that people tend to either love or hate, with not much grey area in between. But since I love olives, I’m always looking for ways to add them to recipes, like this olive cheese bread.
Key Olive Cheese Bread Ingredients
- Flour – You can use strong bread flour, all purpose flour, or a combination of the two. For this loaf, I used 300 grams of bread flour, and 100 grams of all purpose (plain flour). You can also experiment with other flour combinations.
- Garlic Oil – I like the La Tourangelle brand, but any good-quality garlic oil will work. Use extra virgin olive oil if you don’t like garlic oil, or substitute rosemary oil for an herb-forward bread, or chili oil for a spicy kick.
- Yeast – I test most of my recipes with instant yeast because it’s faster and more convenient. If you opt to replace the instant yeast with active dry, remember to prove the yeast in warm water before mixing with the other ingredients.
- Green Olives – This recipe can be made with standard jarred green olives, or something fancier from the olive bar. It’s up to you. You can substitute black olives for the green, or use a mix of several types of olives. Choose pitted olives, and do not use olives stuffed with pimentos or other fillings.
- Cheese – I’ve tested this recipe with both mature cheddar and Double Gloucester cheese, but any semi-hard cheese (mild cheddar, Gouda, Red Leicester, Monterey Jack) will also work.
- Herbs – If you don’t have fresh rosemary on hand, try adding fresh thyme leaves instead. (I suggest sticking with fresh herbs for this recipe, rather than dried, which lack flavor and color and won’t add much of anything to the finished loaf.) You can also use a mix of herbs, or omit them altogether.
Tips, Tricks, and Variations
- Slice the cheese into 1/2-inch cubes. The cubes should be big enough to create gooey “pockets” of cheesy goodness in the bread, but not so big that they’re difficult to incorporate into the dough.
- Experiment with scoring. To score the loaf, you can keep things very simple (a few snips with a pair of kitchen shears) or create more intricate designs with a bread lame.
- Don’t confuse kneading and inclusion. When adding the cheese and olives, use your hands to mix just enough to work each ingredient evenly into the dough. Don’t confuse this process with kneading.
Olive Cheese Bread
- Total Time3 hours
- Yield1 8-10-inch round loaf 1x
Olive cheese bread with green olives, cheddar cheese, and fresh rosemary. This rustic cheese and olive bread recipe is one of my favorites, and makes a lovely accompaniment to a bowl of soup.
Ingredients
270 milliliters lukewarm water (1 1/8 cups)
25 grams granulated sugar (2 tablespoons)
7 grams instant yeast (1 packet)
416 grams strong bread flour, all purpose flour, or a combination (4 2/3 ounces; 3 1/4 cups)
15 milliliters garlic oil (1 tablespoon), plus more for greasing bowl
1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
100 grams mature cheddar cheese, cubed (about 3/4 cup)
70 grams green olives, chopped (1/2 cup)
Instructions
Line a half-sheet rimmed baking tray with parchment. Set aside.
In a large bowl, dissolve the instant yeast and sugar in the lukewarm water.
Sift in the flour, followed by the garlic oil, black pepper, and kosher salt, making sure the salt does not come into direct contact with the yeast.
With a bench scraper, bring the ingredients together until a shaggy dough forms.
Turn dough out onto a generously floured countertop or a silicone baking mat. Knead by hand until soft and elastic, about 8-10 minutes.
With your hands, work the rosemary into the dough.
Work in the cheese and olives. Dough will be wet and sticky.
Form dough into a ball and place in a well-oiled mixing bowl. Drizzle the top of the dough with more oil.
Cover and let stand in a warm place for 1 – 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.
Punch dough down.
Shape into a ball and place on prepared baking tray. Cover with clingfilm/plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes – 1 hour more. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400° F (204° C).
Coat loaf in flour. With a bread lame or kitchen shears, score as desired.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 – 60 minutes, or until deeply golden brown, and bottom of loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely prior to serving. Serve immediately.
Tools and Equipment for Making Olive Cheese Bread
- Bread lame or kitchen shears – For scoring the unbaked loaf of bread.
- Elastic food storage covers, shower caps, or clingfilm/plastic wrap – To cover the bowl while the dough proves.
- A half-sheet rimmed baking tray – For shaping and baking the loaf.
- Bench scraper – For mixing the dough, and working in the inclusions.
- Baking parchment – To line the baking tray.
- Serrated knife – For slicing and serving.
For more tool recommendations, visit this post featuring all of the breadmaking tools I love.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
Homemade bread always tastes best on the day it is made. Wrap leftovers in parchment and foil (a reusable cloth bread bag also offers an eco-friendly storage option) or place in an airtight container, and store at room temperature for up to three days. You can also wrap leftover pear bread in foil and freeze it for up to three months.
Other Homemade Bread Recipes You Might Enjoy
Everything Bagel Bread
Soda Bread with Cheddar and Herbs
Blue Cheese, Date, and Rosemary Dinner Rolls
Pear Bread with Hazelnuts and Raisins
Blue Cheese Bread
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
