Olive Oregano Bread

Were you one of those kids – like myself – who would plop jumbo olives onto each fingertip, and pretend you were from outer space?

Mom’s repeated demands to absolutely not open the oversized jar of olives stored in the pantry became weakened whispers in the wind that fell on deaf ears.

How can you listen to a parental figure when you’re too busy being an alien lifeform determined to rule the cosmos and destroy Planet Earth?

I don’t play with my olives anymore, but they are just as delightful plucked off a fingertip for a snack as they are mixed into my olive oregano bread!

Briny and meaty, chopped olives bring hearty chunks of flavor and texture to this crusty white loaf.

And accompanied by a flurry of fresh oregano leaves, the dough makes its aromatic presence known, amplified to the extreme when it is baking in the oven.

The yeasted bread base is easy to make and shape with no sourdough starter required, though you will still need to dedicate a lengthy amount of time to the proofing steps. This is a typical necessity to achieve a phenomenal loaf with a tender yet sturdy gluten network.

You might have already noticed something special with the baking process here – you proof and bake the dough in a Dutch oven!

Allowing the dough to complete its final rise in a Dutch oven is an easy method to coax it into a perfectly rounded shape as it rises and bakes, and it eliminates the risky step of transferring a delicately risen mound from one vessel to another before baking.

The Dutch oven also serves as a hot and steamy sauna for the dough – by keeping the lid on for the first half of the baking process, the steam that develops and is trapped in the enclosed pot helps the surface stay moist and expand effortlessly, which prevents a thick crust from forming prematurely.

Once the lid is removed, the dry heat creates a thin and crispy dark crust, with the aid of olive oil gently rubbed over the exterior of the shaped dough.

The sound of the deep golden-brown crust crackling underneath the swift movement of your bread knife will send delightful shivers down your spine!

Serving suggestions are easy and aplenty for this recipe, and I’m happy to offer you a humble few:

Slather toasted slices in softened butter, dip them in a seasoned mix of EVOO, cheese, and balsamic vinegar, use them for making sandwiches, top them with a fresh salad, make panzanella…

You’ll even want to find ways to use the ends of your loaf, no joke.

There’s no stopping you. Not even your mom yelling at you to stop stealing the olives. Just give her a slice or two of your freshly baked oregano bread, and even she’ll approve of your plans for galactic domination.

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Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Prep

Measure out the bread flour, active dry yeast, granulated sugar, kosher salt, warm water, and olive oil. The water should be between 110 and 115°F, or the yeast may not activate properly.

Pour 1/4 cup of the warm water into a small bowl and evenly sprinkle the yeast and sugar on top before whisking together to blend completely.

Let the bowl sit at room temperature until frothy and activated, for about 5 to 10 minutes depending on the strength of the yeast.

As the yeast is activating, continue your prep work.

Set out a Dutch oven or a large ovenproof pot that is at least 5.5 quarts in capacity. Whatever you choose, you absolutely will need a lid for the pot.

Set out a large mixing bowl. Prepare your stand mixer by setting out its bowl and dough hook.

Set out a whisk, plastic wrap or clean kitchen towels, and a pliable bench scraper – the tool I swear by to scrape out any kind of sticky dough from a bowl or work surface!

Remove the pits from the olives, if you need to. Roughly slice the olives on a sturdy cutting board with a sharp knife. Roughly chop the oregano leaves. You do not need to finely mince the olives or the oregano, as they will be crushed a little more when you incorporate them by hand into the dough.

Step 2 – Knead

Whisk together the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Pour in the activated yeast mixture and remaining cup of warm water.

Mix together on medium speed with the hook attachment until the dough is smooth and elastic, for about 8 to 10 minutes. It will still feel slightly sticky.

Step 3 – Incorporate the Olives and Herbs

Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured work surface. You may need to a spatula to scrape any remaining pieces in the bowl.

Begin to gently knead by hand the olives and herbs into the dough, using more flour as necessary to prevent excessive sticking.

The olives and herbs will mostly retain their size and shape, breaking down slightly as you knead them into the dough – providing a beautiful presentation when you slice into the bread!

Step 4 – First Rise

Grease a large bowl lightly with oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl, rotating the dough to coat it with the oil, and cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap.

Let the dough rise at room temperature until doubled in size, for about 2 to 4 hours.

The amount of time required for it to rise will depend on multiple factors, such as the strength of the yeast, the proportions of ingredients and how they were mixed, and your home’s temperature and humidity levels.

Be patient! It may take up to 4 hours, or perhaps even longer, for the dough to rise properly.

It’s always a smart strategy to calculate the amount of time from when you aim to serve the bread to the time when you should start making the dough if you wish to eat the bread the same day that you bake it, while taking your home environment into consideration.

You don’t want to realize it’s 11 o’clock at night and you’re still baking!

Step 5 – Punch Down and Rest

When the dough has doubled in size, turn it out of the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface and punch it down once or twice to redistribute the gas.

Shape the dough roughly into a ball, and cover it with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let it stand on the work surface for 10 to 15 minutes at room temperature in order to relax the strong gluten network that has developed.

By relaxing the gluten network, you’ll be able to more easily shape a taut, well-formed sphere before the second rise.

Step 6 – Shape

Remove the towel or plastic wrap. Shape the dough into a very tight ball by rolling it on the work surface between your palms, using more flour to prevent sticking.

Keep the seam at the bottom of the ball, as this side will form the bottom of the bread when it’s placed in the Dutch oven. The top should be very smooth and round.

Step 7 – Transfer to Greased Dutch Oven and Rise

Liberally coat the bottom and sides of your Dutch oven with olive oil. If you don’t use enough oil, the bread may stick as it bakes.

This is a good time to remind you to use pure, light, or refined olive oil – not extra virgin olive oil!

A more processed oil will have a higher smoke point than extra virgin olive oil, and will therefore be the better choice to use when you are baking bread in a Dutch oven at a very high temperature.

Place the dough seam-side down with the rounded side up in the center of the pot. Cover with the lid.

Let the dough rise again at room temperature until doubled in size, for about 1 to 3 hours.

When it is nearly done rising, this is the appropriate time to prepare your oven.  Position the oven rack in the center section and preheat to 450°F.

Step 8 – Bake with Lid On

Gently rub the exterior of the shaped dough with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Score the bread with a sharp paring knife or bread dough razor with 2 to 4 slashes cut into the top. You can score an “X,” a small grid, or a square in the surface of the dough. Scoring will help the crust to expand without splitting.

Place the lid back on top and transfer the pot to the hot oven.

Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on. Steam will develop, and the lid will keep it trapped inside. This moisture helps the dough rise without developing a thick, hard crust too early in the baking process.

Step 9 – Remove Lid and Finish Baking

After 30 minutes of baking, open the oven door and carefully remove the lid from the Dutch oven. The lid will be very hot, so don’t forget to use an oven mitt or a thick kitchen towel!

You will notice that the bread has risen significantly, and that it has started developing some color.

Close the door and reduce the oven temperature to 400°F.

Continue baking until the bread develops a deep golden-brown crust. This will take between 20 and 30 minutes.

Step 10 – Remove and Cool

Carefully transfer the hot Dutch oven to a trivet on your countertop, or place it on your stovetop.

Immediately and carefully remove the bread from the Dutch oven. If you wait too long before removing the bread, it may stick slightly to the bottom, and this may cause some ripping.

You can remove the bread with a wooden spoon held in each hand, or by using a clean kitchen towel in each hand to gently lift the loaf.

If you have a baking partner helping you in the kitchen – hello, family! – you can tilt the Dutch oven slowly upside down while someone else quickly catches the loaf in a clean kitchen towel.

Place the bread on a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely before slicing.

You can also enjoy it while it’s still warm – just give the bread at least 30 minutes of cooling time so the interior sets properly before slicing.