This crusty olive bread is perfect for serving at your next dinner party, or alongside a cheese and charcuterie board. It’s sure to impress your guests, and they won’t have any idea how easy it actually is! There’s no kneading or complicated shaping involved, and the vast majority of time is hands-off. This loaf is soft inside with a crispy chewy crust, and includes garlic, oregano, and plenty of salty olives.
Another homemade yeast bread to love!
Don’t let your eyes fool you… the dark speckles in today’s bread are not chocolate chips and raisins. They’re olives! This recipe is based off of my homemade artisan bread, a wonderfully easy and widely popular no-knead bread that’s fit for both beginners and experts. (Note that I bake this bread at a slightly lower oven temperature because the olives can burn.)
A Flavorful Bread Recipe for Beginners
Today’s olive bread basically makes itself, so if you’re nervous to try homemade bread, this recipe is a great introduction. Even though the recipe is easy, the bread does NOT skimp on flavor. It’s just a simple way of baking homemade bread inspired by the no-knead technique originating from bread expert Jim Lahey. Here’s why it’s so simple:
- Only 7 ingredients
- Absolutely no kneading (just like homemade English muffins!)
- Zero complicated shaping
- No mixer required
- 90% of the time is totally hands off
- Can bake in a dutch oven or on a baking sheet
Plus, you can make it in 4 hours or let the dough rest in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (great make-ahead recipe!). Once you realize how easy it is to prepare salty, herby, garlicky olive bread, you’ll find any excuse to bake it.
Key Ingredients You Need & Why
Today’s Mediterranean-inspired bread is an egg free baking recipe and dairy free recipe. Here are the ingredients you need:
- Bread Flour: While you could use all-purpose flour in this recipe, I strongly recommend using bread flour. Bread flour produces a stronger, chewier bread and that makes a big difference in an artisan-style loaf like this olive bread.
- Instant Yeast: While you can use active dry yeast if that’s all you have, any quick-rise or instant yeast will produce flavorful results in less time. I use more yeast in this recipe compared to my cranberry nut no-knead bread and no-knead jalapeño cheddar bread. Why? Those doughs rest and rise at room temperature. However, for more flavor and just as much rise, I use more yeast and let this dough rest in the refrigerator. (Cool air slows the fermentation process and helps develop better flavor.)
- Salt: I recommend using coarse sea salt because I find the bread’s flavor lacking with regular table salt.
- Garlic + Herbs: Dried oregano and garlic powder add flavor to the dough. You could also try some chopped fresh herbs or roasted garlic cloves, or simply leave them out. The recipe is pretty adaptable, just like the toppings for focaccia!
- Olives: See below for my recommendations.
- Water: I normally encourage you to use warm liquid with yeast, like we do in no knead seeded oat bread, because warm liquid helps the yeast work faster. However, use cool or room-temperature water here. Not freezing cold, not super warm… just cool to the touch. 70°F (21°C) is great, but the exact temperature doesn’t matter as long as it’s not warm. We use the same cool water method for no-knead honey oat bread.
- Optional Cornmeal: If you’re using a baking sheet, dust the pan with cornmeal for a pop of flavor and a little crunch. This is completely optional. If you have it, use it. If you don’t have it, dust the pan with flour.
Best Olives to Use
Kalamata olives are excellent in this bread, but you can use a medley of olives. I’ve made it both ways. Whatever you use, give the olives a rough chop.
Let Me Show You How to Make This Olive Bread
Mix the dry ingredients together and then mix in the chopped olives and water. At first the dough will seem very dry and shaggy and you’ll question if it will even come together. (See above!) Use a spatula at first and then switch to your hands to ensure all of the flour is moistened. The dough is a little sticky after it’s thoroughly mixed.
Let it rise. Cover the dough and let it rise at room temperature for about 2–3 hours.
You can immediately continue with step 4 below (gently shaping before baking) or refrigerate the dough for up to 3 days. For best flavor, I strongly recommend refrigerating the risen dough even if it’s just for a couple hours.
After the dough rises and rests in the refrigerator, use generously floured hands to shape the dough into a round boule or ball-like shape:
Now it’s time to choose between a dutch oven or baking sheet. This bread isn’t picky!
Use a Baking Sheet or Dutch Oven
You can use either. Baking the olive bread in a covered dutch oven traps steam inside the pot, creating that perfect crust. If you plan to bake a lot of bread in the future, you won’t regret picking up a dutch oven. If you don’t have a dutch oven, a nonstick large baking sheet is best. Let me explain both ways:
- Baking Sheet: Lightly dust it with flour and/or cornmeal. Place the dough on top, cover it, and let it rest as the oven preheats. You will find these detailed instructions in the recipe below, along with my crispy crust optional trick in step 7!
- Dutch Oven: Place the empty dutch oven with lid in the oven as it preheats. Place the dough on high heat resistant parchment paper (I use this parchment paper) and then fit inside a bowl. Cover and let the dough rest as the oven preheats, then place it (with the parchment) in the hot dutch oven before baking. You will find these detailed instructions in the recipe Note below.
Whichever you use, don’t forget to score the dough with a bread lame or sharp knife. Scoring allows the wet, airy dough to “breathe” as it rises and bakes.
Dutch oven method:
Baking sheet method:
The bread is unbelievable when it’s fresh from the oven—warm, crispy, crusty, and soft inside!
What Can I Serve With This Olive Bread?
Honestly, it’s fantastic plain. But I usually mix together a super easy + flavorful dipping oil: 3 Tablespoons (45ml) extra virgin olive oil and 2 minced cloves of garlic plus a sprinkle each of red pepper flakes, fresh or dried thyme, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. The bread would also be delicious paired with homemade pesto.
Serve your olive bread alongside a charcuterie or cheese platter, or with any Mediterranean-style fare. I love it with a big Greek salad and have even served it with minestrone soup, pesto shrimp, chicken meatballs, and lemon thyme chicken. (The chicken dish has so much sauce for soaking! Lemon thyme chicken is another excellent option.)
PrintEasy No-Knead Olive Bread
- Prep Time: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours, 35 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf; 10-12 servings
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Follow this recipe and enjoy homemade olive bread that’s altogether crisp, soft, garlicky, herby, and salty. Review Notes before beginning. If you’re new to working with yeast, reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
Ingredients
- 3 and 1/4 cups (about 430g) bread flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed for shaping and pan
- 2 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons coarse salt (see note)
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 heaping cup (about 135g) roughly chopped olives
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) water, close to room temperature at about 70°F (21°C)
- optional: cornmeal for dusting pan
Instructions
- In a large un-greased mixing bowl, whisk the flour, yeast, salt, oregano, and garlic powder together. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, mix in the olives. Pour in the water and gently mix together. The dough will seem dry and shaggy, but keep working it until all the flour is moistened. If needed, use your hands to work the dough ingredients together. The dough will be sticky. Shape into a ball in the bowl as best you can. (Tip: Stir dough by hand. Dough is too sticky for a mixer.)
- Keeping the dough in the bowl, cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and set on the counter at room temperature (honestly any normal room temperature is fine). Allow to rise for 2-3 hours. The dough will just about double in size, stick to the sides of the bowl, and have a lot of air bubbles.
- You can continue with step 4 immediately, but for absolute best flavor and texture, I strongly recommend letting this risen dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours and up to 3 days. (Even just a couple hours is good!) Place covered dough in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The dough will puff up during this time, but may begin to deflate after 2 days. That’s normal and nothing to worry about.
- Lightly dust a large nonstick baking sheet (with or without rims and make sure it’s nonstick) with flour and/or cornmeal. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Using generously floured hands, shape into a ball as best you can. Dough is very sticky. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Loosely cover and allow dough to rest for 45 minutes. You will bake the dough on this prepared baking sheet. See recipe note if you want to use a pizza stone or dutch oven.
- During this 45 minutes, preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C).
- When ready to bake, using a very sharp knife or bread lame (some even use kitchen shears), score the dough with a slash or an X, about 1/2 inch deep. (“Score” = shallow cut.) If the shaped loaf flattened out during the 45 minutes, use floured hands to reshape into a ball.
- Optional for a slightly crispier crust: After the oven is preheated and bread is scored, place a shallow metal or cast iron baking pan or skillet (I usually use a metal 9×13 baking pan) on the bottom oven rack. Carefully and quickly pour 3-4 cups of boiling water into it. Place the scored dough/baking pan on a higher rack and quickly shut the oven, trapping the steam inside. The steam helps create a crispier crust.
- Place the shaped and scored dough (on the flour/cornmeal dusted pan) in the preheated oven on the center rack. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. How to test for doneness– give the warm loaf a light tap. If it sounds hollow, it’s done. For a more accurate test, the bread is done when an instant-read thermometer reads the center of the loaf as 195°F (90°C).
- Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10-20 minutes before slicing and serving. Store leftovers loosely covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The dough can sit in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, so this is a wonderful recipe to begin ahead of time. You can also bake the bread, allow it to cool, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving. You can also freeze the dough. Complete the recipe through step 3. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-friendly container. Freeze up to 3 months. To bake, allow dough to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, or for 2–3 hours at room temperature. Continue with step 4 and the rest of the recipe instructions.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls | Wooden Spoon or Rubber Spatula | Baking Sheet or Dutch Oven | 2-Cup Measuring Cup | Bread Lame | Instant-Read Thermometer
- Flour: For absolute best flavor and chewy texture, I strongly recommend using bread flour. You can use a 1:1 substitution of all-purpose flour in a pinch with no other changes to the recipe. I recommend avoiding whole wheat flour in this dough, however if necessary, you can replace up to 1 cup (about 130g) of the bread flour with whole wheat flour.
- Yeast: You can use instant or active dry yeast, but I highly recommend an instant (aka “rapid rise” or “quick rise” yeast). The bread will rise faster. 2 teaspoons is a little less than 1 standard packet. If using active dry yeast, there are no changes needed to the recipe. The rise time in step 2 may take longer. Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
- Salt: Use a coarse salt, such as coarse sea salt, in this bread. I find the flavor slightly lacking when using regular table fine salt. If you only have fine salt, reduce to 1 and 1/2 teaspoons.
- Dried Oregano & Garlic Powder: Feel free to use 2-3 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or substitute 2 teaspoons of another dried herb you love. Instead of garlic powder, you can use 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic or roasted garlic.
- Using a Dutch Oven: The process is similar to Cranberry Nut No Knead Bread. You need a 6 quart or higher dutch oven or any large oven-safe pot with a lid (lid is crucial– see cranberry nut bread for more information). Prepare dough recipe above through step 3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and, using lightly floured hands, shape into a ball as best you can. Doesn’t have to be perfect. Transfer dough to a large piece of parchment paper. (Large enough to fit inside your pot and one that is safe under such high heat. I use this parchment and it’s never been an issue.) Lift the parchment paper and dough up and place it all into a large mixing bowl. Using a very sharp knife or bread lame, gently score an X into the top. Cover dough lightly with plastic wrap and leave alone for 30 minutes. During this 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Place your dutch oven (with the lid) inside for 30 minutes so that it’s extremely hot before the dough is placed inside. After 30 minutes, remove the dutch oven from the oven and carefully place the dough inside by lifting it up with the parchment paper and sticking it all– the parchment paper included– inside the pot. Cover with the lid. Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on. Carefully remove the lid and continue baking for 10 more minutes or until the bread is golden brown. You can test for doneness exactly how you would in step 8 above. Remove pot from the oven, carefully remove the bread from the pot, and allow to cool on a wire rack for 10-20 minutes before slicing/serving.
- Using a Pizza Stone: If you want to bake your bread on a pizza stone, place pizza stone in the preheating oven. Remove hot pizza stone, dust with cornmeal or a little flour, and then transfer shaped and scored dough to hot pizza stone and bake as directed.
- No Nonstick Pan?: If you don’t have a nonstick baking sheet, line it with parchment paper instead. Coat with a dusting of flour and/or cornmeal before placing the dough on top. Parchment paper can burn, so it’s best to check the box to see how much heat yours can tolerate. Lower your oven heat if necessary, and bake the bread for longer until it’s golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.
Hi Sally. I made this once in a 7 qt Dutch Oven and it was fantastic, but makes a very large loaf for just two people. I am wondering if I can halve the recipe and bake it in my 3-3/4 qt Dutch Oven? Or back two loaves and freeze one?
Hi Kat! We haven’t tried that but can’t see why not! The bake time will be shorter. Let us know if you give it a try!
Reporting back. I made a full recipe of the dough on Tuesday. Today, Thursday, I baked half of it in my 3-3/4 quart Dutch oven. I did 20 minutes with the lid on and about 12 minutes with the lid off to get it browned. It turned out great, making a perfectly sized loaf for a 4-6 people! I have the rest of the dough in the freezer for another day.
Can I use marinated olives in olive oil or should I only use olives in brine?
Hi JJ, you can use those, just drain them and then chop. Enjoy the bread!
My dough has been resting for almost 3 days in the fridge. Do I need to let it rest/rise longer because it’s chilled? Or continue exactly as the recipe states?
Hi Christy, you can proceed as the recipe states. It will warm up to room temperature during the 45 minutes that it rests on the baking sheet (prior to baking). Hope you enjoy it!
This olive bread turned out perfect. Circumstances prevented me from baking before the third day and it is amazing. This is a fabulous recipe. If I had more olives (I will be buying in a couple of days) I would be making again to give to friends. Easy and so delicious.
I’ve just made this bread and had a slice. OMG. This is lovely. I followed your recipe exactly but baked it on a sheet pan. It was everything olive bread should be. Many thanks. I’ll keep and share this
I love this recipe. Mine me out great!
I made this bread yesterday – had some Kalamati olives left over and this was perfect excuse to use them up! I did leave it overnight in fridge and used fresh garlic – the flavors were amazing as was the bread. I did not create steam in oven but it still came out nice and crusty.
Amazing bread!! Smelled so good when it came out of the oven, I couldn’t wait to taste it and it did not disappoint!!!
Hi Sally! I am currently letting the dough rest at step 3 and am a bit concerned with how sticky it is. It is sticking to my hands, is this normal? If not, is it too late to add more flour or water at this stage?
Hi Emily, the dough will still be quite sticky at this stage. When you move on to step 4, be sure to generously flour your hands and work surface and that will help with the stickiness and help bring the dough together a bit more. Hope you enjoy the bread!
My first time making bread and this was fantastic. Thank you for the recipe. I can’t wait to try some of the others.
I absolutely LOVED this bread! Great chewiness and flavor. The only thing I would do different is cut down a bit on the salt. I used olives from an olive bar which might have contributed to the saltiness. I served it with a roasted red pepper and Italian sausage frittata.
This bread is amazing! I’ve made it multiple times now and I use fresh olives from the deli. I make the oil as a dip on the side. I’m new to making bread.. I used the sheet method to get a crispy crust.
my one question: is the middle supposed to seem moist? I’ve left it in the oven 5-10 mins longer and it was still moist in the middle. I wondered if that was because of the olives. the first time I made it I thought I had undercooked it, even though the outside was crispy. maybe I should be leaving it in even longer. thoughts?
Hi Tatum, the middle part will be soft, but if it seems too moist/doughy then it’s possible it needs a few minutes longer in the oven. If your olives seem especially wet, you give lightly blot them with a paper towel before adding to your dough next time. Glad to hear you’ve been enjoying this bread!
I was surprised at how easy this was. Although I cook, this was my first attempt at bread. I let the dough rise in the bowl covered w/plastic wrap & a towel. Then, put it in the refridgerator for 8 hours. I used the author’s recommendations by cooking on a floured baking sheet, scoring and throwing in a pan w/4 cops of boiling water on the lowest oven rack while baking (door closed) with bread on middle rack. It came out perfect after 40 minutes at 425° F.
Yummm. So, soft in the middle with an amazingly crispy crust. And, the flavors were great. I used dried rosemary instead of oregano in mine as I love olive bread with rosemary. A delicious triumph!
Thanks for sharing and all of your great tips.
We’re so glad it turned out for you, Julie! Thank you for giving this recipe a try.
Loaf was perfect! My husband and daughter were impressed and loved it. Crust was just right. Thank you!
Can I bake this in a covered stainless steel stock pot instead of a dutch oven?
Hi SM! If you don’t have a traditional Dutch oven, we recommend skipping that method and following the baking instructions as written. The optional pan with boiling water trick (step 7) in the oven will yield a nice, crispy crust without a Dutch oven. Happy baking!
Made this bread and it was SO good, lasted 2 days, that was hard to not eat it all at once.
will definitely repeat this recipe.
Hello Sally,
Had leftover olives from the Holliday, so gave this a try. Still too hot to slice, but smells and looks wonderful! Used the Dutch oven method, and your tip of keeping dough in mixing bowl while Dutch oven heats, gave me a perfect round loaf. Thank you Sally!
Great recipe. Made it for Xmas brunch and everyone loved it. I used a cup of olive salad in olive oil from Costco
How would this turn out if I used gluten free all purpose flour? I have some family members who have gluten allergies.
Hi Jordan, we haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flour, so we’re unsure of the results. Although some readers report using an all-purpose 1:1 gluten-free flour in many of our recipes with success, you should expect slightly different results anytime you substitute ingredients.
Made a gluten free loaf and a regular loaf with bread flour and both turned out well!
The gluten free loaf cooked a little differently in color and is slightly chewier but still delicious.
I made this last time according to the directions using green olives. It was good. This time I’m using kalamata olives, a little less oragano. And added some dehydrated onion.
This recipe sounds amazing! I would like to make it into breadsticks, you know twisted breadsticks. Is that possible?
Hi Mary! We haven’t tested it, but this sticky dough may not be best for breadsticks. Here’s our cheesy garlic breadsticks recipe if you’re interested! It uses our versatile homemade pizza dough.
Hello, I tried this recipe but my dough didn’t rise. Brand new yeast and flour from a few weeks ago.
Do you think my water temperature could have been the problem?
Also, I covered the dough inside the bowl tightly, like a shower cap! Wondering if the directions meant to cover the bowl itself, and not the actual dough?
I’m new here!
Hi Patches, the water temperature could be the culprit. You want cool water, not hot/warm water, here. You’ll also want to cover the top of the bowl, not tight on the actual dough itself. This Baking with Yeast Guide may also be a helpful resource to review. Thank you for giving this recipe a try!
I tried the recipe, but my dough was very wet. Therefore it was impossible to form a ball. I put the dough in a cake dish, hoping it will have some shape when it comes out of the oven.
I wonder what went wrong. I used flour for white bread, which was the only thing available in a Portuguese supermarket. The yeast was dry baker’s yeast. It didn’t say ‘quick’ or ‘active’. Perhaps there something went wrong?
It could also be the olives. I remember now that I didn’t dry them.
Any advice on avoiding too wet dough or fixing it is welcome!
Hi Linz, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. How did you measure your flour? Be sure to spoon and level or use weight measurements to ensure you’re using enough flour to help soak up the wet ingredients. If you find the dough is too wet to work with, you can add additional flour (a tablespoon at a time) until it comes together into a workable consistency. Be sure to drain the olives and if they seem really wet, you can lightly dry them with a paper towel as well. Hope these tips help for next time!
Lovely looking bread, I’m definitely going to try to make it! My question is , when you take the dough out of the fridge, do you shape it right away or wait until it reaches room temp?
Hi Maggie, You can shape it when it’s cold – it’s less sticky that way!
If I make this again. I will gradually add the water. Mine turned out extremely sticky and didn’t hold it’s shape. I still followed the recipe but it came out dense and disappointing after it was baked.
I was wondering if you could use fresh garlic in place of olives and make a garlic bread instead
Hi Joe, you might enjoy this very similar artisan bread recipe — see recipe Notes there for adding garlic to the dough.
The olives are in brine. Should I rinse them?
Hi Marsha, No need. Just drain them and chop!
Sally, can I bake this in a loaf pan as I want to use 2 loaf pans so I can get 2 loaves. Thanks.
Hi Connie, There is a little too much dough for a standard size (9×5 inches) loaf pan, but you could try dividing the dough in half and using 2 loaf pans. The edges should still crisp up and the bake time may vary.
Made the recipe with oil cured olives. The texture was very good and crusty but a bit salty. Will use less salt and regular olives.
Made this with oil cured olives. I was nervous because it didn’t rise a whole lot but it came out great! For reference, I let it rise and then refrigerated overnight, and I cooked it using the Dutch oven method. Delicious!
I can’t believe how good this bread is… and neither can my husband. Salty, flavourful, better than any focaccia or olive bread we’ve ever had. I used my dutch oven and the crust is crusty and the inside is just delicious. Half the loaf was gone in 30 minutes. Will definitely be making it again soon, for company. Thank you!