You can vary the flavor of this bread with your choice of olive - Kalamata, Amfisa, Arbequina, Niscoise ... ... ....

Mediterranean Black Olive Bread

bread flour

active dry yeast

white sugar

salt

black olives

olive oil

water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

cornmeal

In a large bowl, mix together flour, yeast, sugar, salt, black olives, olive oil, and water.


Turn out dough onto a floured board.  Knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes.  Set aside, and let rise about 45 minutes, until it doubles in size.  Punch down.  Knead well again, for about 5 to 10 minutes. Let rise for about 30 minutes, until it doubles in size.


Round the dough on kneading board.  Place upside down in a bowl lined with a lint-free, well floured towel.  Let rise until double in size.


While the bread is rising for the third time, put a pan of water in the bottom of the oven.  Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).


Gently turn loaf out onto a sheet pan that has been lightly oiled and dusted with cornmeal.


Bake loaf at 500 degrees F (260 degrees C) for 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).  Bake for 30 more minutes, or until done.


TAKE NOTICE BEFORE FOLLOWING THE DIRECTIONS VERBATIM:  15 minutes on the bottom rack at 500 degrees blackened (ie. *burned*) the top of this bread.  After all the work and time I invested in preparing this loaf, I was very disappointed to have it ruined by the author's cooking instructions.  Reading some of the other comments, I would have to agree that 450 degrees instead of 500 is the way to go.  The original author must be in a high-altitude environment or something.  

The inside of the bread was extremely delicious and I will be baking this one again soon (at 450/375).  Thank you for the recipe, I'm sure you didn't mean to burn my bread. :)

this is off the chart!  Thanks so much for a wonderful recipe!  Proofed the yeast first w/1tbsp sugar then added all but the salt.  added that w/2nd cup of flour so as not to kill the yeast.  I did have to use more flour but used A-P.  It rose beautifully each time.  Added 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, and 1 tsp. italian seasoning.  Used both black and Tunisian green olives from the family orchard.  Makes for a beautiful presentation.  Left the olives in larger pieces. Very rustic looking.  Baked at 475 for the first 15 min. then down to 400 for the remainder.  The steamed oven made for a beautiful crispy crust but the bread itself was so soft and tender.  The addition of spices and garlic only added to the loaf but did not detract from the olives.  Use good olives from a specialty store or olive bar at the local supermarket.  I'm afraid canned olives would not fair too well in this recipe other than lending eye-appeal. Don't be afraid to try this recipe.  Just prepare the rest of your meal in between risings.  The most tedious part was getting all the olive away from the pits!  Thanks again.

I have made this for several parties.  Each time I do a little something different.  My favorite variation of this recipe is substituting whole wheat for 1/2 of the white flour and adding rosemary, basil, oregano, and garlic to the dough. I doubled the olives too!  Great recipe.

This is such a GREAT bread! I proofed the yeast separately in the warm water &amp; 1T of the sugar.  I subbed 3T of the flour for 3T of vital wheat gluten flour for better rising results.  Once the yeast was well-bloomed, I put it in the bowl of my stand mixer with the remaining ingredients to mix &amp; knead it. I used kalamata olives and then copied reviewer, Tunisianswife, and added 1.5 tsp garlic powder &amp; 1tsp Italian seasoning to the dough. These additions sent the bread over the top!  Along with the pan of water in the oven, I also misted the loaf and the oven with water every three minutes for the first 10 minutes.  This bread is so fragrant with the olives &amp; spices, tastes wonderful, &amp; has a great texture.  Holly, thank you SO much!

Holly, thanks so much for sharing this wonderful recipe. I have made it four times and given it away to friends. It seems to be their favorite of all the breads I bake. Everyone loves the crispness of the crust combined with the tender inner bread. The last loaf I made with Kalamata olives rather than black and added 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Yummy!!!

I have had Olive bread several times at restuarants and I love it.  I was nervous to try making it though afraid it would be difficult.  It is very simply.  I didn't really change anything on the recipe other than completing the initial step with a mixer.  If you do this, I would recommend leaving the olives in very large pieces.  Mine were in tiny bits by the time I baked the bread.  I used Kalmata olives as that is what I have always had before, but I think I will try making with other types as Kalamata's are very expensive and difficult to find where I live.

Hi all! Thx for this recipe Holly! I am in search of the "secret recipe" of bakery olive bread, which is so expensive!
For a "first-time" bread-baker, this was a great recipe! Did all mixing/kneading by hand. I used whole-wheat flour, which may have contributed to the "heaviness", but I did not see "bread flour" in store. I used Kalamata olives (unrinsed). I, like others, found that it darkened too quickly at the high oven temp. suggested, so I will start at 400F for 15 min. and 325-350F for remainder of time, next time I make one round loaf. I will try making a  donut-shaped loaf with further temp. adjustments, to facilitate even cooking and give me more crust!(Mine was a bit moist inside when crust was over-done!) The texture/grain was perfect! Taste was a bit "yeasty"-(Probably my fault-my pkg. of dry yeast was 2.25 tsp. instead of 2 tsp...Oops! So, make sure you check!) But, this was SO EASY to throw together with plenty of bench flour on hand; a good work-out, too! I will make this again with some more creativity. Just love the idea of putting half &amp; half olives/sun-dried tomatoes! A few herbs too! I am also anxious to use this dough for home-made, gourmet pizza! Will be AMAZING! ENJOY!

Awesome, but even awesomerer with a tsp or two of chopped FRESH rosemary. YES!

HI TO ALL. WOW. I JUST MADE THIS BREAD  AND IT IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST BREAD I HAVE MADE IN A LONG TIME. I DID ADD 1-2 TBLS. ITALIAN SEASONING AND USED HALF GREEN OLIVES AND HALF BLACK OLIVES. AND I MADE IT INTO TWO SMALLER LOAVES RATHER THAN ONE. THIS RECIPE MADE IT INTO MY FAVORITES BOOK. I WILL BE MAKING THIS OFTEN. I AM SENDING A LOAF TO ONE OF MY GOOD FRIENDS WHO LOVES OLIVES. I THINK SHE WILL REALLY ENJOY THIS BREAD. THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT RECIPE!! IT IS VERY EASY TO MAKE.

Very good recipe. I found the description for the last rising confusing - why upside down on a towel?  I just left it in a covered bowl.  I added dried thyme and rosemary (1/2 tsp of each) and also lowered cooking temp.  Half the loaf is already gone!

I had a 1/2 cup of Kalamata Olives that I didn't want to waste, plus they are expensive, so I came on here and found this bread recipe. I rough chopped and mixed the kalamata olives along with green and black olives for different taste and colors. I had a little marinade (1T) left from the olives so I added that in the dough mixture as well for added taste along with 1 garlic clove, finely diced. I proofed my yeast in warm water with 2T sugar, olives, olive juice, garlic, and oil. After 10 min, yeast became foamy. I slowly added in the flour and a 1/2 tsp. salt. Dough felt a little wet/sticky. I kneaded the dough, let it rise for 1 hour, punch down the dough again, letting it rise for 10 mins, then 30 mins, doubling in size. I lightly oiled the baking sheet and dusted it with cornmeal. I put a pan of water on the very bottom  of oven while preheating. I baked the bread at 450 degrees the first 15 mins, then lower it to 375 degrees for 25 minutes, all to avoid burning the bread and crust. This turned out to be a beautiful oblong shaped bread. The crust was a golden brown color with specks of olives peeking out from the bread. The aroma was wonderful as was the bread. The inside was soft, tender and warm. I could taste the additions of the garlic, which did not take away from the olives at all. Bread was very tasty. The mixture of the olives turned out nicely in the bread-may add more next time and will make this bread along with greek chicken or a greek salad.

This was my first attempt at "artisan" style bread, it was easy, and didn't take too long. At 500 deg., my oven made the crust a little too dark, but the interior texture was just right! My husband loved it!

YUMMY!  thanks for this great recipe.  It's the best bread I've made so far (I know this because my husband keeps telling me), however, next time I think I will begin the baking process at a lower heat and perhaps keep it in the oven longer, rather than begin at 500degress (seemed to get the crust toondark but the inside may have benefited from baking a bit longer).

I have made this about 20 times now. Try 400 for 15 min then 350 for 30 minutes. The 500 degrees recommended is to hot. You may want to change it up alittle and use 1/2 cup greek olives and 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes in olive oil. When ready to go in the oven I drizzle more olive oil on top before the corn meal. Comes out great everytime. Thanks for listening.

I make this bread all the time in a loaf pan, and we use it as sandwich bread.  It's delicious, but the original recipe is slightly plainer than we wanted, so I added 1/4 tsp each of oregano, thyme, rosemary, and sage.  I use a 2/3 cup olives and 1/3 cup bell peppers (if you do this cut the water as needed). I also add a little coarse (pretzel) salt to the top after shaping. 
Lastly, I've ended up with a yeasty taste if I let it rise so many times, so now I let it double once, knead again and shape, and then just let it rise a bit while the oven is preheating.
We make sandwiches with turkey breast and spicy pepperoni cream cheese.  Weird maybe, but awesome!

This is a wonderful tasting bread! I will definitely be making it again. A few things though. I had to add considerably more AP flour than the original 3 cups added. I think after I finished adding flour, I added close to a total of 4 cups. I also used canned olives, and I will definitely not be doing that again. They had absolutely no flavor, so I will opt to use a better quality olive the next time. I also took previous posters suggestions of starting the oven at 475 for the first 15 minutes, and then reducing to 400 for the remainder of the time and that worked beautifully. The crust was a beautiful color, while the inside was soft and spongy. I also used my kitchenaid mixer for all of the kneads. I just used my dough hook and mixed it on speed 2. I even let my dough rise right in the mixer bowl itself, then punched down and used the dough hook for the subsequent kneads. Overall an excellent bread! I will definitely make this again.

Excellent! This does come out as a softer loaf of bread, but I don't mind and the flavor totally made up for that. I just threw everything into the bread machine (also adding in some fresh chopped rosemary, parmesan cheese and minced garlic) and let it do it's thing (I did have to add more flour to get it to where it was not so sticky). Once the cycle was complete, I turned it out onto a floured surface and shaped it into a loaf (I braided it), placed it onto the cornmeal dusted baking sheet, covered it and let it rise until doubled (about an hour). I brushed the loaf with an egg wash and baked it @ 375 degrees (my oven is super hot), for about 20-25 minutes. Smelled amazing while baking and tasted even better! A great recipe that I will be making again! Thanks for sharing. :)

This bread turned out GREAT!  I did the dough in my breadmachine it has an Artisan Dough cycle.  I replaced 1/4 cup of the water with 1/4 cup of the water from the olives - gave it a nice olive taste.  I proofed my yeast (I learned this from many other people on this site and others and highly recommend it).  I waited to add the chopped olives until the mix in beep on my bread machine.  After it finished baking, I sifted a little bit of flour on top - gave it a nice look!  It looks like something you would buy and an expensive bakery AND better yet, it taste that way too.  I am actually making it again today, becuase my friends liked the first loaf a little too much.  

I enjoyed making this bread.  Next time, however, I will use a 450 degree oven to start, as the 500 burned the crust.  I will also triple or quadruple  the kalamata olives in the recipe, as there were not nearly enough of them to satisfy my tastes.

This is some of the best bread I've ever had! I've gotta say though, it's even better if you add a few cloves of garlic (chopped pretty finely), a small handful of rosemary, and a small handful of shredded Parmesan.

This has to be the best recipe ever! It has to be because it is the first time I've made bread!! Who said a 60 year old can't learn something new! I used almost a cup of coarse cut calamata olives, added some oregano, garlic powder, and little Italian seasoning. It not only tasted fantastic, it came out looking great too! (wish I'd have taken a photo of it) I took it to a cooking shindig last night and it went so fast I hardly got any for myself! Thanks for the great recipe. 

Great recipe! Out of habit I allowed the yeast to proof separately like other users (2 1/4 tsp yeast, 1 tsp sugar &amp; 1/4 cup warm water @ 100 degrees Fahrenheit). I kneaded in a clove of crushed garlic and a few Tbsp of minced italian parsley. While it was baking the smell was amazing! 
I had to ignore baking at 500 degrees, (baking @ 375 degrees for 45 mins) because I was in a rush, but the loaf, after kneading as directed, turned out to be as chewy and delicious on the inside and crusty on the outside as was described. 
Thanks for the great recipe! My family and I really enjoyed it!

I make this bread time and time again. It is a little time consuming but well worth it! I agree with other reviewers in that the oven should be turned down slightly and to bake the bread longer. Also, I add slightly more sugar, some of the olive juice in the batter, and instead of olive oil on top, I brush the loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with more salt just before baking. Comes out perfect every single time!

Very nice, and adapts well.  I decided I wanted to make rolls, since bf doesn't like olives and probably wouldn't touch this bread.  Rolls are easier to portion out, so I made 10 rolls with the dough.  I also used 1 cup of ww flour to make it hardier.  Turned out wonderfully!  I baked at 375 for 20 minutes so they'd remain soft . . .I'll try the higher temp next time to get the crisp crust.  Thanks for the recipe!

This bread appeared to be an artisan style bread. However, I realized that it was more like a soft white bread but once cooled it still tasted good. Although, PLEASE FOLLOW THE FIRST REVIEWER AND LOWER THE TEMPERATURE! I did 450/350 instead of 500/375. I am glad I did because I would have also had blackened bread. I was fighting myself not to take it out of the oven before the last 30 minutes, but opted to take it out 10 minutes early. On the rising times I had to add about 20 minutes or so extra to get the dough double in size and about an hour rise on the last rise, which didn't indicate a time. I also had to continuously flour my hands, with all purpose flour, as the dough was super sticky. Although, I did not read of other reviewers having that problem of the dough feeling too wet. I used a round proofing basket dusted with flour, instead of the bowl suggested, however I wished I would have just baked it in a larger loaf pan as it is so much like a soft white bread with olives.

Disappointed in this.  I was hoping to replicate the delicious homemade olive bread we were served everywhere in Beirut for breakfast.  I followed the directions to a "T", including all three rises.  I used excellent quality kalamata olives (the ones that go for $8.99 a pound in the deli).  Unfortunately, I felt the bread lacked any depth, and was, of all things, a bit sweet!  I tried warm from the oven, cold, and even toasted and failed to really enjoy it in any way.  I brought about 2/3 of the loaf to a family party and everyone tried one piece since it's homemade bread, but not a single person went back for seconds, and I had leftovers to take home.  Of homemade bread!!  (It's not a "bad" recipe, it was just uninspiring to the taste buds.)

Excellent moist bread with a nice and crispy outer crust.  Very enjoyable.  Be sure to allow time for the bread to rise all three times, this will make or break the fluffy moistness.

Amazing recipe...I feel confident in making delicious gourmet bread given the recipe and tips.  I made it with brine olives first and wasn't real pleased then kalmatas which came out much better. I serve it with a sundried tomato and roasted garlic dipping oil. This is a keeper :)

This is delicious bread! Time consuming, but not hard work.  I used my kitchen aid mixer with the dough hook, made as directed except I used all purpose flour (I didn't have bread flour) and increased the amount of black olives a little bit. Baked at 450 for 15 minutes, then 360 for 30.  Also, I wasn't sure about the lining the bowl with a floured dish towel part of the recipe. I hadn't done that before, but I haven't made much homemade bread, and never Artisan bread.  So, I gave it a shot using a cloth napkin, that worked great.  I was very proud of how this turned out, looks and tastes delicious!  Thanks for the great recipe.  I do think I'll take other suggestions and add a tsp of Italian seasoning to the dough next time, just to try it.

This is a lovely recipe and very easy to make.  I made some slight modifications and it turned out great....I added fresh minced garlic and dried rosemary.  I followed suit on the 400 for the first 10 minutes and then 375 for the rest of the time.  I also misted the loaves slightly every 15 min. and this made the crust great.  I can see that there are many ways to change up this recipe (add spinach, sundried tomatoes even cheese).  Highly recommend this recipe to everyone!  A winner.

SO GOOD!  I made 5 loaves on Saturday (as gifts for an early Thanksgiving dinner we went to on Sun).  It took ALL DAY to make these rustic beauties but it was so worth it!  Everyone LOVED it!  I used Kalamata olives, added 1 Tbsp of dry thyme, 1 Tbsp of fresh rosemary, a clove of minced garlic &amp; a splash of the olive juice to each loaf.  I also decreased the temp to 450 degrees - my oven got them a little too dark at 500.  They came out w/ a nice crust &amp; were oh so moist inside!  I will make this again &amp; again!!  Thanks!!

My boyfriend and I LOVE the olive loaves, but don't love their price. So I gave it a shot and it turned out amazing.  The recipe was really easy to follow, but i made a few changes. I used whole wheat flour (since i didnt have bread flour) and upped the rising times to 1h15, 1h, 40min. I found 500F to be too hot for my oven, so i went with 450F then 375F.  Also, i made a double batch...so if you are going to do this...remember to SEPARATE the loaves after the FIRST rising...i forgot and figured i would do it after the third rising (oops) and ended up with a SUPER loaf. It was still good and enough for a large dinner party..but if you do this, change your baking time to 25mins at 450F and 40min at 375F. Everything still came out great! Thanks!

*Update:  I also tried this bread using 1 cup of the Muffaletta Olive Salad from this site, instead of the 1/2 cup of black olives and it was delicious!*  So good!  I thought 1/2 cup of olives was too little, but it turned out perfect.  I used good quality greek olives from a local market and the flavor was imparted all through the loaf.
I was in a rush so I only let it rise twice, and I hand formed it into a loaf shape on a cookie sheet for the second rise.  It grew very well.  The outside had a nice crust, and the inside was very soft.  I do like a more rustic olive loaf for the texture, but the flavor of this one was superior.
I cooked it at 450 for the first 15 minutes, then 375 for the remainder.  Would gladly make this again- thank you!

By far the best bread I've ever made!  I served it at a small dinner gathering and everyone was raving about it.  Can't wait to try it with all sorts of extras in it, like sundried tomatoes.  Yum!

Amazing, I adjusted the oven temp to 450, then 375.

this recipe is wonderful! I have made it at least a dozen times now and its come out beautifully every time. I bake at 400 for 15 minutes and then lower to 350 and the bread comes out nicely toasted and soft. I have made this with a variety of different olives and have also made it into a raisin bread (raisins, brown sugar, and cinnamon) as well as adding cranberries and walnuts. You can split the ingredients into 4 buns as well if you want smaller servings sizes. Thank you so much for this recipe its a keeper!!

This is a great recipe!  I've tried lots of different olives in it and prefer the oil packed olives since their extra oil really makes the bread moist.  Also, with proper kneading the bread bakes up almost spherically.  It looks like a giant puff-ball mushroom!

Really good bread and very soft. In fact, this is the softest bread I've ever made and I think it must be due to the three risings. Other breads I've made only require two rise. Anyway, like other reviewers have commented, lower the temp to 450 to 475 and for a shorter duration than 15 minutes. Otherwise, you will end up with a darker crust than it should be. This bread recipe is a definite keeper and I highly recommend it.

I have never baked bread before.  I made this recipe and loved it.  The second time I made it I followed some of the suggestions and backed the initial temperature down to 450.  The crust was thicker and cruchier than when I started at 500.  I did note that at 500 the water pan was really pumping out the steam.  Not so at 450.  I think I'll stick with the 500 degee start.  I did add a hint of garlic and some chopped fresh basil the second time.  Nice flavor.

Did you ever see the movie, A Christmas Story? Ralphie's teacher writes A+++++++++++ across the blackboard, and has heart flutters, and the kids in the class lift Ralphie up on their shoulders.  This recipe made me think of that scene.  I was sort of worried for a while because it didn't appear to be rising, but by the third rise, it puffed up beautifully.  Gorgeous bread.  I felt like somebody should carry me around on their shoulders because I made it.  I made the recipe exactly as stated, and wouldn't change a thing.  Thank you!  

I read the previous comments and adjusted the temperature which allowed my bread to come out perfectly. The bread was gobbled up at a Mediterranean themed christmas party this year.  I made another loaf two days later and added some garlic powder and italian herbs ( 1tbls each) to add some flavor. I would have given this recipe a five but the temp in the recipe is off for most ovens.

I think my husband thought he had died and gone to bread lovers heaven...He ate half the loaf before dinner and was too full to eat! This is WONDERFUL. I've made it as written, great, but now I always add twice the amount of olives, (we love olives)and leave them whole. I buy a good jar of pitted Kalamatas and they are much less labor intensive. Also, I add a 1/2 tsp of garlic and onion powder and tsp of oregano. I also top the loaf with a sprinkling of shredded parm. cheese before baking. Looks pretty out of the oven. But bakes faster than time stated, but my oven does tend to run hot. Very, very good. Thanks for a bakery quality recipe!!

Great texture -- crusty outside, soft inside.  I made the dough in my bread machine, then gave it one more rise and baked.  Delicious!

I love this bread. I enjoy the darker crust. I do like to leave it in the oven for a few extra minutes, as the inside doesn't cook at the way through in the time given.

I baked this bread on the Pizza Stone. The Stone helps to make an even crust on the bottom.
I pre-heated the oven on 500 for 30 minutes with the stone INSIDE. Then I lowered the temperature to 375 and I added the bread on parchment to bake for 45 minutes.
If you don't have the stone bake it for 375 for 45 minutes.
It makes a wonderful bread! Very soft inside and perfect to eat with soups, salads, or sandwiches.

This recipe creates a delicious, dense loaf. However, through 2 kneadings the olives became mashed to pieces. Perhaps the recipe should be changed to add the olives just before the third rise, which would leave them in bigger pieces.

I halved this recipe, but kept the amount of olives constant.  I didn't have olive oil, cornmeal, or bread flour--I simply &lt;b&gt;omitted&lt;/b&gt; the cornmeal and used &lt;b&gt;canola oil and all-purpose flour&lt;/b&gt; (this made the bread more &lt;b&gt;dense&lt;/b&gt;, however).  Trying to substitute for lost flavor, I used the leftover &lt;b&gt;olive juice&lt;/b&gt; and water instead of the plain water.  I'm not sure if this was because I used a different flour, but I found that I didn't have to knead it as much.  Make sure that after rising the bread the &lt;b&gt;last time, handle it as little as possible&lt;/b&gt;--I like to think this keeps its shape.  Even detracting from the flavour and the bread flour's effectiveness, this bread was wonderfully &lt;b&gt;crusty&lt;/b&gt; on the outside and soft inside!  I've never made a crusty bread such as this successfully before--&lt;b&gt;great recipe&lt;/b&gt;!

This is absolutely delicious! I felt so proud of myself after making this. The bread was amazing and looked like professional artisan bread! I will definitely make this again and again and again.

Absolutely loved the bread.  Very rustic and hearty.

Loved it! Used a tad bit more olives too and followed Tunisianwife's green olive suggestion. Also, a bit of garlic and provencial dried mixed herbs mix made the bread excellent. Kept my man very calm as he came from work very hungry and I had not finished preparing dinner yet.

This recipe is so good! I have made it for my friends and they love it!  I have tried it with just the rosemary, then with basil then with them both combined and each one was as good as the other.  It is wonderful with pasta, macdous or soups!

WOW, this is THE bread recipe that I will use from now on. This is fail-proof, and ABSOLUTELY the most delicious bread I've ever had. It's totally professional grade. That pan of steaming water in the oven is the ultimate trick. I love the crunchy crust and the soft inside, totally awesome. I used 2 cups white w/1 cup whole wheat. Didn't change anything else. Fresh olives are the best, tons more flavor than the jar olives. Will make this over and over again. I now feel like a professsional baker, truly! Thank you so much!

New cook, never even kneaded bread before, and this came out wonderfully--taking the other commenters' notes about cooking temperature into account.  Recommend using large olives and not chopping them as small as I did!

First time bread maker, and it was great!  Everyone at our super bowl party loved it.  I did follow other reviews to reduce temp.  I started at 450, and then 375.

Wonderful!  I made this following the recipe and the dough would not rise.  So I tried it again by first mixing the yeast, sugar &amp; water to activate it.  Went back to first dough and kneaded it, and it rose on the second try.  So I decided to add 2 Tbls of italian seasoning to second loaf.  Found what works best in my oven is 450 degrees for 15 minutes - then 350 for 30 minutes.  Good stuff.

It's not too much work, which makes the payoff even better! I used oil cured olives and it came out delicious!! Will definitely make this again.

This recipe was absolutely amazing. I finally have achieved the artisan bread look I was going for. I divided the dough after the 2nd rise and shaped into two small round loafs. The out is perfectly crisp and browned while the inside is filled with olive moist goodness. I used about1/2 cup chopped mixed greek olives and 1 very small marinated balsamic roasted onion.. about the size of a ping pong ball.

I made this bread using black olives that I finally chopped. I doubled the olives and had to use more flour,  which was fine. I made this twice so far. The first time I delayed the baking time 2hrs because of a family emergency and it came out more firm and sliced very well for sandwiches. The second time I baked it right away and it came out soft on the inside and crunchy crust. Perfection!

Ouch! This was some good bread. Really good crispy crust. I used those olives stuffed with garlic at Sam's. Mmmmmm.

Thank you for a wonderful recipe! I used chopped Kalamatas--excellent taste and texture.

Excellent bread. I did find the dough a bit sticky to work with and had to add more flour both times I kneaded it. My husband loved it- altought we both thought it needed a bit more olives. Next time I will add 3/4 cup of olives. Also, I did not really have the right kind of towel to flour and use for the bread so the last time I let it rise, I actually lined the pan with corn meal and let it rise in the pan I was going to cook it in.

Amazing bread, but the cook time is a little much. I divided the dough into four long pieces and laid them on a prepared baking sheet. I cut the cook time to a third-- five minutes at 500 and then ten at 375. I also added a tablespoon of fresh rosemary. It turned out perfectly. A few notes on handling: this recipe tells you to put the yeast with the dry ingredients. I find that it's better to mix the yeast, water, oil and sugar together before you do anything. It activates the yeast and helps the bread to rise. The recipe also describes kneading the dough for ten minutes or so. This is pretty ridiculous, considering how slack and wet the dough is. Once all of the ingredients are mixed, trying to knead it will just overwork it and cover you in sticky dough.  I took off a star for the modifications that were needed, but with the changes this was definitely a five star bread.

Great Bread.  Nice and moist even 2 days later.  Used part whole wheat flour, fresh thyme and the olive "juice". Also used my own methods for raising and baked in a 400 degree oven.

The bread came out with a great texture and looks exactly like the photo. I baked at 425 for 15 minutes and 350 for 30 minutes.  
It is virtually flavorless however, so I highly recommend adding some seasoning to it... rosemary, salt, etc.  I look forward to trying this again with seasonings.

This was unusual but good. Thanks for sharing.

...fantastic olive bread:  nice crust + soft center!  Delicious!! I did proof the yeast first, but followed the rest of the instructions.  Another change I did was to sub 1/2 the bread flour for whole wheat flour.  The dough turned out a bit sticky, but it baked really well, and the bread is delicious.  Next time, however, I think I'll add some herbs into the mix before baking.  Thanks so much for this awesome recipe!!

This was delicious!  I adjusted this recipe for the bread machine (needed only to add the vital wheat gluten, all other measurements were fine.)  And the bread was wonderful.  I will experiement with different olives next time, I used kalamata this time.

I was disappointed with this loaf.  My bread had a too-dense texture, sort of like an olive scone or something.  It rose very well, so the result surprised me.  Can anyone tell me what I did wrong?  

I made this in my breadmaker! I used a whole can of chopped black olives and then tore up a few calamatas.  Came out beautifully....and it's gone....same night!

i used my bread machine to kneed the dough and my oven to proof...it came out perfect!

made it with 1/2 whole wheat. mixed in bowl first, then moved to bread machine for further mixing &amp; rising. then moved to oven for 450 for first 15 as suggested by someone here, and 375 after. loved it! turned out crusty on the outside, and moist on inside. might add more salt for flavour since olives were canned variety. will make again!

This is really easy to make and it is really good crust and soft. I used green olives and kalamata olives. Great recipe!!!

Very good. I had trouble deciding on a baking temp with all of the mixed reviews. I started out following the recipe, but took the bread out after  about 15 miutes at 375. I think next time I will lower the temp to 450 to begin with, and it should be perfect. I served this with Pollo Mediterranean from this site and it made a great meal.

I usually read reviews first and I wish I had for this one! Blackened all around by the time I checked it a few minutes before it should have been ready. I proofed yeast first since all I had handy was breadmakers yeast, dough rose beautifully and smelled heavenly (I did double the amount of olives to what I had on hand) - but the finished loaf has an overdone crust and honestly there's not much flavor to this otherwise. If the flavor seemed good I'd give the recipe another go per other reviewers' suggestions on temperature, but I don't think this particular recipe came out worth a redo for me.

I have been making bread at home for 40 years, and this is absolutely one of our favorites. Plus for me, it's a very easy recipe! It is beautiful when it comes out of the oven--so big and round--and the texture is light but dense, so it can be sliced thinly if desired. The only slight adjustment for our 4300' elevation is the temperature; I bake it at 450 degrees to start, then bake it a little longer then 30 minutes when I turn down the heat.

This is hands down a great recipe. Very easy to make. If anything decrease each temperature time by 5 minutes or so. Having a stand mixer with a hook allows you to turn out loaf after loaf perfectly.

I replaced one cup of white flour with wheat flour.  My guys really liked this!  (I don't eat olives)

I added 4 minced cloves of garlic and 1/2 cup freshly grated asiago cheese, and used kalamata olives.  Loved by all!

My first ever loaf of bread and I was not very impressed. After having some homemade olive bread at a party and serendipitously coming across this recipe, I thought I'd give it try. I was rather disappointed with the results. After reading manwithabook's review and other bread recipes I too decided not to bake at 500'F so maybe that was a factor. I only had all purpose flour and I used a variety of olives from the olive bar from the local supermarket which were rather salty.

Texture: too soft outside and inside.
Flavor: except for the bits of olive, the bread itself lacked depth. Tasted a little too floury.

Easy to make, easier to customize to your own taste.  Great texture inside and out.  My oven runs hot anyway so I definitely got a little dark on my first try, but the crust to bread ratio was perfect and I tried again with temp adjustments.  Perfect.

I have made this recipe four times now.  I am a novice bread baker, so I was somewhat apprehensive.  "A plus" recipe...wonderful aroma, great texture, delicate flavor!   Note: baking this bread really steams up the windows.

Perfect but water is too much, it can be only 1 cup.

Very good..I did have to add some flour..but I knead in my mixer...but everything else was exactly like the recipe!

I followed directions word for word, but I think next time I will add more salt and some different spices,and possibly add more olives.  The olives didn't flavor the bread enough for my taste, but the bread was easy to make and looked good in terms of crust and texture.

Excellent house bread to have around and dip in olive oil as 
chefs/family kitchenn snack. You can increase the olive flavor by substituting half of the water with olive brine from the jar, for kitchen snack bread I roll these into smaller stick loaves about an inch wide before final rise to make personal loaves at the dinner table. You can also !ale this the night before and out dough in ziplock freezer bag, or just freeze for later. Be sure to spray inside of bag with oil spray so as not to stick inside bag. The ziplock bag will stop most of the rising if you remove the air..-143!

Oh my gosh!!!  This bread is sooo delicious!!  I made it with fresh Greek Green Olives from Kroger's Deli and I LOVE IT!! Next time I might put in more olives.  When I brought the round loaf out of the oven, I wrapped it in a towel.  The next morning I sliced it and the crust texture was just right...for me!  The bread texture is soft and moist.  Todah for sharing your recipe!!  

I substitued a few items, but all around a great recipe. I can't believe how great tasting this is. I used unpitted Kalamata Olives and peeled by hand, they have 10 times more flavor than the pitted ones. Some Fresh Bakers Yeast and greek olive oil with  tsp. of thyme worked wonders with Gold Medal (better for bread) flour. 5 stars all the way!

Excellent!!  My husband and I both loved it and I will make this again and again.  We had been buying this expensive olive bread at the supermarket but no more, this is much better.  The only thing I changed was baking temp.  I baked at 350 through the whole time.  We had a soft crust but wanted and liked it that way.  Thank you for a wonderful recipe.

Fantastic and simple recipe. I have never made bread before and it turned out great. I will be making this again. Goes great as an appetizer with oil and balsamic vinegar. Could add some peppers next time for a little heat.

This was so good and so easy. Used my Kitchen-aide mixing hook and never really had to touch the sticky dough. If I could make this bread, w/out messing up,  anyone can. So worth the time and effort!!!

This is a very delicoius bread and easy to make, although you have to wait for 2 raises.
The flour was not enough I had to keep adding and adding until I could get a good dough but when I did it was a great dough and very easy to work with (will need about 1/2 to 3/4 cups more flour, adding gradually). I followed the lower temperature recommendations (230C/190C) and it was more than enough and the bread had great colour. The crust was not too dry and the interior was moist and dense and delicious.
I used Syrian green olives that were in my fridge and I didn't know waht else to do with them but that bread was amazing. I even made it with all purpose flour when I had no bread flour and it was really good.
Enjoy

This is the easiest bread I have ever made!  I couldn't mess it up!!  It is also great with sun-dried tomatoes and basil instead of the olives.

Wonderful!  I made 16 rolls using 3/4 cup mixed sliced black and green olives and additional 2 T. flour.  I used less water (1 c., 5 t.) and should have used even less.  I used spicy seasoned salt with 2 t. bread machine yeast.  Will make this recipe again even though it took 3 hours to drain &amp; dry the olives!

This turned out great- I loved the crispy crust.  I did bake a little lower than stated at first.  I didn't know how to tell if it was done, because my oven bakes hot, but it was pretty close to the time given here.  I was afraid the dough would stick to the towel, so I liberally floured the towel, and the top of the loaf, and it came out with no problems.  Some of the flour burned in the oven, though.  I used Kalamatas.  It smelled so good when it was rising- I had to snack on the extra olives!

This is a very flavorful bread! 

I used my KitchenAid mixer for the first stage, using the paddle and then the dough hook for about 5 minutes. I had to add some flour at this stage because the dough was way too sticky! 

I used brined black and green mediterranean olives- about a 1 1/2 cups before I pitted them (the black were easier to pit). I added them whole into the mixer when there was about 1 minute left of machine kneading.

I hand kneaded it after that. The top was a little browner than I was hoping for- I'll pay more attention next time. 

I can hardly wait to toast this bread!

Outstanding flavor and texture!  My husband loved it and so did I!  Will definitely make again, although it is a recipe that takes a while to make.  Good for a snowy Sunday at home.  All in all, loved it!  loved it!

we loved it, it so easy, made it twice and i know i'll make it again. this time i will try it with green olives, thank you for sharing this deliceous recipie..

This is a delicious bread. The recipe is definitely a keeper.

mediterranean black olive bread

Servings: 1

Cost: $29.74 /serving

Author : MARBALET

Ingredients

Instructions

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