no-knead olive bread

No-Knead Olive Bread

Flour, water, yeast, salt, and chopped olives are combined into a loose dough and left to rise slowly without kneading, allowing gluten to develop naturally. The olives infuse the bread with briny, savory flavor while the long fermentation produces a tender, airy interior. The dough is shaped and baked in a preheated pot or Dutch oven to form a crisp, golden crust.

During baking, steam helps create a crunchy exterior while the interior remains soft and flavorful. The olives distribute evenly, enhancing each bite with salty, aromatic notes. The preparation emphasizes patience and simple ingredients to produce rustic, flavorful no-knead olive bread.

This recipe is a variation of my No-Knead Bread technique.

Print Recipe
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Bread
Olives
Servings: 8

Equipment

  • covered bread pan or cast iron dutch oven

Ingredients

  • 3 ¼ cups bread flour
  • 2 tsp. coarse sea salt
  • 2 tsp. instant yeast
  • 2 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 ½ tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 heaping cup olives, roughly chopped
  • 1 ½ cup warm (110°F) water

Instructions 

Mix

  • Combine flour, salt, yeast, garlic powder, and oregano in a large bowl.
  • Add olives to dry ingredients and mix.
  • Add water and stir into a loose, shaggy dough.
  • Turn dough out into an oiled bowl.
  • Cover dough with plastic wrap.
  • Let the dough rest (on top of the refrigerator) at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours.

Form

  • Turn the raised dough out onto a floured surface.
  • Fold the edges of the dough up to form a rough dough ball.
  • Flour the top and flip the dough ball over onto a piece of parchment.
  • Shape the dough to pan shape, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rest while the oven heats (approximately 20-30 minutes).
  • Preheat the oven and pan (ceramic bread pan or dutch oven) to 450°F.

Bake

  • Add the dough and parchment to the hot pan.
  • Slice 3 times diagonally across the dough with a sharp knife.
  • Brush the top of the dough with water.
  • Bake covered in the oven for 30 minutes at 450°F.
  • Remove cover and return to the oven for 15 minutes.

Stand

  • Remove bread and parchment from the baking pan and place loaf on a rack to cool for 30 minutes.

Notes

  • Make sure the instant yeast is fresh (no more than 4 months in the fridge after opening).
  • Add water until the dough is shaggy but not too wet.
  • With cooler water, the dough takes longer to rise and improves the bread’s flavor.