Olive & oregano bread

A savoury loaf flavoured with olives, olive oil and oregano.

Baker setting one golden olive-and-oregano loaf on a cooling rack beside its empty tin.
Makes
1 loaf
Heat
190°C
Baking time
35–40 min

Tent with foil if the crust darkens early.

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Olive & oregano bread

Makes
1 loaf
Heat
190°C
Baking time
35–40 min

Tent with foil if the crust darkens early.

Core recipe

Olive & oregano bread

A savoury loaf with olive oil, sliced olives, and oregano.

Method

  1. 01 · Mix

    3–5 min

    Use: A + B

    Whisk A together. Add B and mix until evenly moistened.

    Ready when: No dry pockets of flour.

    Baker mixing rough oregano-flecked dough in a stainless bowl at a professional bakery bench.
    01 Mix the doughMix until all the flour is evenly moistened.

  2. 02 · Knead

    8–12 min; check early in a mixer

    Use: Mixed dough

    Knead by hand or with a dough hook on low until elastic. Rest briefly before deciding whether to adjust consistency.

    Ready when: Soft dough that stretches without immediately tearing.

    Baker kneading smooth oregano-flecked dough on a lightly floured bench.
    02 Knead until elasticKnead until the dough feels soft and stretches without immediately tearing.

  3. 03 · Add olives

    1–2 min

    Use: C + kneaded dough

    Flatten the dough, scatter over olives, then fold and knead gently to distribute them.

    Ready when: Olives are dispersed and mostly intact.

    Baker folding soft oregano dough over sliced green and black olives.
    03 Fold in the olivesScatter over drained, sliced olives and fold them gently into the dough.

  4. 04 · First rise

    About 60–90 min + 10 min rest

    Use: Dough; oiled bowl

    Cover and leave until doubled. Gently press out large bubbles, then rest 10 minutes.

    Ready when: Dough is airy and about twice its starting volume.

    Baker standing side-on and lifting the cover to inspect puffy olive-and-oregano dough in a bowl.
    04 Let the dough riseCover the dough and wait until it is airy and about doubled.

  5. 05 · Shape & proof

    About 30–60 min

    Use: Dough; oiled tin

    Roll into a log as wide as the tin and place seam down. Cover loosely. Preheat the oven.

    Ready when: Loaf is puffy; a light finger dent returns slowly.

    Baker gently checking the rise of an olive-and-oregano loaf in its rectangular tin.
    05 Shape and proof in the tinShape one log, place seam down in the oiled tin, and let it become puffy.

  6. 06 · Bake

    190°C / 375°F; 35–40 min

    Use: Proofed loaf

    Bake on the centre rack. Tent with foil if the crust darkens too soon.

    Ready when: Golden crust; centre about 88–93°C / 190–200°F.

    Baker using oven mitts to remove a golden olive-and-oregano tin loaf from a professional oven.
    06 Bake until goldenBake until the crust is golden, then remove the hot tin with oven mitts.

  7. 07 · Cool

    At least 1 hour

    Use: Baked loaf

    Remove from the tin and cool on a rack.

    Ready when: Cool enough to slice without compressing the crumb.

    Baker setting one golden olive-and-oregano loaf on a cooling rack beside its empty tin.
    07 Cool on a rackRemove the loaf from the tin and cool it on a rack before slicing.

Consistency & readiness

StageLook and feelNeeds attention
Before adding olivesOlives are drained and blotted; dough is already smooth and stretchy.Visible brine pooling around the olives.
After adding olivesDistinct pieces spread throughout a cohesive dough.Pulverised olives or wet, disconnected patches.
Final riseThe shaped loaf is visibly fuller and aerated.Waiting for a fixed minute count after it is already fragile.

Troubleshooting

If you seeLikely causeWhat to do nowNext time
Dough turns wet when olives go inResidual brine adds unmeasured liquid.Pause mixing; use only a small flour correction if needed.Weigh olives after draining and dry thoroughly.
Olives disintegrateThey were mixed too vigorously or too early.Stop once distributed; smaller pieces remain usable.Fold olives into developed dough at the end.
Dense loaf with a hard crustDough may have become too dry.Record any added flour for the next batch.Keep dough slightly tacky; avoid heavy flouring during shaping.

Recipe notes

  • Wet olives can make dough sticky. Drain them well rather than automatically adding flour. If needed after resting, adjust with water or flour in 5 g additions.

Recipe

Olive & oregano bread

A savoury loaf with olive oil, sliced olives, and oregano.

How do I make it?

  1. Mix the dough

    3–5 min

    Whisk together the ingredients in group A. Add the group B ingredients and mix until everything is evenly wet.

    Baker mixing rough oregano-flecked dough in a stainless bowl at a professional bakery bench.
    Mix until all the flour is evenly moistened.

    Ready when: No dry patches of flour remain.

  2. Knead until stretchy

    8–12 min; check early in a mixer

    Knead by hand, or use a mixer’s dough hook on low, until the dough stretches well. Let it rest briefly before deciding whether it needs more flour or liquid.

    Baker kneading smooth oregano-flecked dough on a lightly floured bench.
    Knead until the dough feels soft and stretches without immediately tearing.

    Ready when: Soft dough that stretches without tearing straight away.

  3. Gently mix in the olives

    1–2 min

    Flatten the dough and scatter the olives over it. Fold the dough over them, then knead gently until the olives are spread throughout.

    Baker folding soft oregano dough over sliced green and black olives.
    Scatter over drained, sliced olives and fold them gently into the dough.

    Ready when: The olives are spread throughout and mostly stay whole.

  4. Let the dough double

    About 60–90 min + 10 min rest

    Cover and let the dough rise until it is twice its starting size. Gently press out the large air bubbles, then let it rest for 10 minutes.

    Baker standing side-on and lifting the cover to inspect puffy olive-and-oregano dough in a bowl.
    Cover the dough and wait until it is airy and about doubled.

    Ready when: Airy dough about twice its starting size.

  5. Shape and let rise

    About 30–60 min

    Roll the dough into a log the same width as the oiled tin and put it in with the join underneath. Cover loosely and turn on the oven to preheat while the loaf rises.

    Baker gently checking the rise of an olive-and-oregano loaf in its rectangular tin.
    Shape one log, place seam down in the oiled tin, and let it become puffy.

    Ready when: The loaf looks puffy, and a light finger dent rises back slowly.

  6. Bake

    190°C / 375°F; 35–40 min

    Bake on the oven’s centre rack. If the crust browns too quickly, loosely cover the top with foil.

    Baker using oven mitts to remove a golden olive-and-oregano tin loaf from a professional oven.
    Bake until the crust is golden, then remove the hot tin with oven mitts.

    Ready when: A golden crust and a centre temperature of about 88–93°C / 190–200°F.

  7. Let it cool

    At least 1 hour

    Take the bread out of the tin and let it cool on a rack.

    Baker setting one golden olive-and-oregano loaf on a cooling rack beside its empty tin.
    Remove the loaf from the tin and cool it on a rack before slicing.

    Ready when: Cool enough to slice without squashing the inside.

What can go wrong, and how can I fix it?

What you noticeLikely causeWhat to do
Dough turns wet when olives go inResidual brine adds unmeasured liquid.Pause mixing; use only a small flour correction if needed. Weigh olives after draining and dry thoroughly.
Olives disintegrateThey were mixed too vigorously or too early.Stop once distributed; smaller pieces remain usable. Fold olives into developed dough at the end.
Dense loaf with a hard crustDough may have become too dry.Record any added flour for the next batch. Keep dough slightly tacky; avoid heavy flouring during shaping.
Useful recipe notes

Wet olives can make dough sticky. Drain them well rather than automatically adding flour. If needed after resting, adjust with water or flour in 5 g additions.

See the detailed method and ratios in , or follow ingredients through the .

Ingredient proportions & recipe details

Olive & oregano bread at a glance

Makes
1 loaf
Heat
190°C
Baking time
35–40 min
Leavening
Yeast
How do the ingredient proportions compare?

Percentages compare each listed weight with the combined flour weight (100%). These are ingredient ratios, not dough hydration; milk, eggs and fillings contain other ingredients as well as water.

Formula componentGramsFlour = 100%
All-purpose flour420 g100%
Instant yeast7 g1.7%
White sugar25 g6%
Fine salt6 g1.4%
Dried oregano3 g0.7%
Water250 g59.5%
Pitted olives, sliced50 g11.9%