Onion & Olive Bread

EVENT: A- Z RECIPE CHALLENGE
THEME : AN INGREDIENT BEGINNING WITH THE LETTER O
Onion & Olive Bread – an aromatic, rustic, savory bread with dried herbs, ideal for sandwiches and to enjoy with soups and stews.
A bit about the group
This group started by fellow bloggers Vidya and Jolly, is themed based. This month we have to use any ingredient whose English name begins with O. Not too difficult as the options are endless. I’ve used not one but two ingredients beginning with O. Did I plan it that way? Not at all. My main focus was to use olives to make a savory bread to enjoy with a salad in the evening. By the time I kneaded the dough chopped onions went into it along wit mixed herbs.
Baking as a Hobby
Many people enjoy baking as a hobby. It’s a hobby that is therapeutic – a stress burster and has a calming effect. The aroma of baking is heavenly. Nowadays with people under lockdown and staying at home, many are trying their hands at baking. From muffins to cakes to breads and also involving kids. Just browse on Facebook and you’ll find many are also trying to make sourdough starters. I’ve loved baking since I was probably 11 or 12. Helped my mum to bake biscuits and the first ever recipe I tried on my own was a cake, even before I knew how to roll rotis. Since then there has been no looking back. At the moment trying to bake light airy sourdough bread but not there yet fully!
Some recipes with ingredients beginning with O
- Orange Saffron Semolina Cake
- Orange Cranberry Muffins
- Cucumber and Orange Salad
- Orange and Cinnamon Swirl Bread
- Chocolate Orange Swirl Buns
- Fresh Orange Iced Tea
- Orange Carrot Muffins
- Orange Cheesecake
- Wheat Orange and Oat Cookies
- Mango Orange Smoothie
- Beetroot Orange Salad
- Baked Crispy Okra
- 11 Different Okra Recipes
- Pina Colada Overnight Oats
- Ragi and Oat Pancakes
- Gingerbread and Oatmeal Bread
- Oatmeal Banana Quick Bread
- Oatmeal Coconut Cookies
- Coriander and Olive Bread
- Feta Olive and Basil Bread
- Rosemary, Garlic and Olive Focaccia
- Check out how Vidya has used steel cut oats to make Oats Dosa, a recipe I would love to try when I get some steel cut oats.
- Jolly’s Pepper Bhindi Fry or Pepper Okra Fry is a tempting recipe for me as its got two of my favourites, okra and pepper.
Onion & Olive Bread
Wouldn’t deny the fact that I simply love olives. So its not surprising that I use them often in bakes, salads, pasta, as dips, in pies and pizzas. The whole intention was to bake a bread with both black and green olives. The black olives got delivered from the grocery store but not the green ones. Oh well, and then thought of adding chopped onion to make the bread more flavorful. Aromatic and flavorful it was. First day hubby and I enjoyed with some salad and the next day used the remaining slices to make a sandwich.
Ingredients required for Onion & Olive Bread
- Plain Flour/Bread Flour – Can use half wheat and half plain flour. Extra flour for dusting. I find that the plain flour and atta available in India are less glutinous which means the bread texture is dense. I try to source bread flour or use gluten powder.
- Dry Active Yeast – I use the instant one where it doesn’t need to be fermented before using. However, if you are not using the instant variety, ferment the yeast in warm water for 10-15 minutes or till the mixture becomes frothy.
- Warm Water – to form the dough
- Olive Oil – or any other oil of your choice. Extra oil for greasing
- Salt
- Sugar – just a little is required as it helps the yeast to ferment better.
- Dried Mixed Herbs – I used mixed dried herbs. Feel free to use any other herbs or spices of your choice.
- Onion – I used the red variety. Peel and chop it.
- Olive – use any of your choice or a mixture. Chopped or sliced
- Cheddar Cheese – to add flavour, cut into small cubes

ONION & OLIVE BREAD
Ingredients
- 2½ cups bread flour (plain flour) 340g
- 1½ tsp instant active dry yeast
- 200 ml warm water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- ⅓ cup olive slices any of your choice
- 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
- ¼ cup tiny cubes of cheddar cheese
- extra olive oil for greasing
- extra flour for dusting
Instructions
- Mix the flour, mixed herbs, salt and sugar together in a big bowl.
- Add the yeast and mix well.
- Add oil and rub into the flour.
- Add water and bring the dough together.
- Dust the worktop lightly with flour.
- Knead the dough using the heel of your palm and fold repeatedly for at least 10-15 minutes till its smooth and silky.
- Alternately, knead in a dough machine for 5-7 minutes.
- Lightly grease the bowl with oil.
- Form a nice tight ball with the dough.
- Place it in the the greased bowl. Cover it with a lid or a damp tea towel.
- Leave the bowl in a warm place for about 1½ hours or till the dough ferments or rises and is double the size.
- Gently deflate the dough.
- Lightly dust the worktop with some flour.
- Pat the dough out on the worktop into a rough rectangle or circle.
- Spread out the chopped onion, olive slices and cheese cubes on the dough.
- Roll the dough into a log.
- Fold it and knead gently so that the onion, olives and cheese get mixed into the dough. Don't over knead the dough.
- Shape the dough into a round ball, making sure that the edges underneath are pinched together.
- Grease a baking tray lightly with olive oil.
- Place the dough ball on the tray.
- Cover with the tea towel and leave it in the oven which has not been switched on as yet.
- Let the dough ferment for 45-60 minutes.
- Take the tray out of the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
- Brush the top of the dough gently with some water.
- Place the tray with the risen dough into the hot oven.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Lower the heat to 180ºC and bake further for 20-25 minutes or till golden brown in colour.
- Tap the bread gently at the bottom. It should sound hollow.
- Let the bread cool completely on a wire rack before cutting it.
Notes
- If you're not using instant dry yeast, then you need to let the yeast ferment in the warm water. Add sugar to the water and mix well. Add the yeast and mix gently. Cover and let it ferment for 10 minutes or till its frothy. Use the mixture to knead the dough.
- If you want a softer crust, then don't brush the top with water and bake at 180ºC from the beginning. Brush the top with milk.
- Adding cheese is optional.
Pin for Later:
A little request:
If you do try this recipe then please either
- add a comment below,
- send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
- tag me as #mayuri_jikoni on Instagram
- or tag me on Twitter as #Mayuri1962
40 Comments
Shobha Keshwani
August 7, 2020 at 2:18 pm
Sounds interesting. Bread with Mediterranean flavours. I have tried masala bread earlier and now I must make this one. My hubby loves olives and also onions- both are his favourite ingredients
mayurisjikoni
August 7, 2020 at 5:14 pm
Thank you so much Shobha. Please do try the combination. We loved the sandwiches we made using the bread. Adds so much flavour.
Niranjana Sankaranarayanan
August 12, 2020 at 5:54 pm
I make masala bread & garlic bread(not dominos style) at home. This recipe sounds interesting with onion, olives and especially cheese. Would love to try this bread.
mayurisjikoni
August 13, 2020 at 6:02 pm
Thanks Niranjana, I make masala bread too, but this one is different in taste. Try it.
Preethicuisine
August 13, 2020 at 4:33 pm
Bread looks so flavorful and Delish. Lovely crumb. I am tempted to bake now .Lovely flavours.
mayurisjikoni
August 13, 2020 at 5:57 pm
Thank you so much Preethi.
The Girl Next Door
August 13, 2020 at 9:43 pm
I love, love, love savoury breads and this one sounds just perfect. The crumb is beautiful, and the bread looks soft and flavourful. Can imagine the heavenly taste!
mayurisjikoni
August 14, 2020 at 5:03 pm
Thank you so much Priya, and agree with you that savory breads are very tasty.
Poonam Bachhav
August 14, 2020 at 2:00 pm
Homebaked bread with olives and onions sounds so flavorful di ! Loved the texture of the bread and the fact that you have added cheese to it.
mayurisjikoni
August 14, 2020 at 5:01 pm
Thank you so much Poonam.
kalyani
August 15, 2020 at 3:24 pm
wow wow wow ! looks at those list of dishes from the alphabet !! even if we made 1 dish a week, it could keep us going for almost an year..
the bread looks so rustic and perfect to dip into some hummus..
mayurisjikoni
August 15, 2020 at 4:55 pm
Thank you so much Kalyani. Love the idea of enjoying the bread with hummus when I bake it next.
Sujata Roy
August 17, 2020 at 5:06 pm
Always love your baked recipes. Onion olive bread sounds so delicious and flavorful. I have made garlic bread but never used olive. I have a bottle of pickled olives. I would love to try this bread sometime.
mayurisjikoni
August 17, 2020 at 10:45 pm
Thanks Sujata, olives in bakes taste really good.
Rafeeda – The Big Sweet Tooth
August 19, 2020 at 8:41 am
All I need is a large bowl of creamy soup to dunk that bread in! Totally beautiful when studded with onions and olives, and I am sure it tasted super delicious too…
mayurisjikoni
August 19, 2020 at 6:22 pm
Thanks Rafeeda, we used a few slices for sandwiches and that too tasted really good.
Vidya Narayan
August 19, 2020 at 8:42 am
Mayuri, you have learnt from the best (your mum) and your passion is quite evident from this gorgeous bread. I absolutely love the combination of olives and onions. The toasted slices would make a great accompaniment to soups or can be enjoyed as sandwiches with a spread or filling of your choice. Either ways, bread doesn’t last for long at our place and I am sure, its the same at your end too.
mayurisjikoni
August 19, 2020 at 6:21 pm
Thank you so much Vidya. Bread doesn’t last too long in our home too.
Aruna
August 19, 2020 at 5:57 pm
You absolutely hit it out of the park with this recipe, Mayuri. I am sure both the olives and the onion add a lovely flavour to this bread. I just want to reach out for a warm slice and dunk it some soup or use it to mop up sauce from pasta.
mayurisjikoni
August 19, 2020 at 6:15 pm
Thank you so much Aruna.
NARMADHA
August 20, 2020 at 12:38 pm
We love spicy savory breads than sweets ones. This onion olive bread looks so flavorful and tempting. Perfect tea time snack to enjoy with some spread or toast with soup.
mayurisjikoni
August 20, 2020 at 4:57 pm
Thanks Narmadha.
Archana
August 21, 2020 at 8:10 am
Absolutely love the bread! It has both my favorite ingredients along with bread of course. I can imagine relaxing with some delicious wine , bread n movies.
mayurisjikoni
August 21, 2020 at 4:02 pm
Thanks Archana, yes it pairs well with wine.
Paarul Mehta
August 24, 2020 at 4:24 am
Baking is therapeutic and once you start there is no end, you just want to try something every other day ! I love olives and this combination of onion and olives is always hit. I can only imagine bruschetta right now seeing this lip smacking bread. Perfect Bake Mayuri.
mayurisjikoni
August 24, 2020 at 3:35 pm
Thank you so much Paarul.
Anshu Agrawal
August 25, 2020 at 12:28 am
That is one a very beautiful bread. It is looking amazing. Somehow baking bread seems difficult to me but your recipe is so simple and easy to follow. Can imagine the beautiful flavors of onion and olive in the bread. Perfect with a big dullop of butter.
mayurisjikoni
August 25, 2020 at 5:21 pm
Thank you so much Anshu. Bread baking is not difficult at all once you make up your mind to try it out. Just need to follow a recipe and the yeast should be active.
Jolly
August 27, 2020 at 12:18 pm
I love savoury breads too and this one sounds just perfect. Loved the texture of the bread and the idea that you have added cheese to it, it must be very flavorful and tasty!
mayurisjikoni
August 27, 2020 at 3:44 pm
Thank you so much Jolly, yes the addition of cheddar cheese makes the bread very flavorful.
Seema Sriram
August 29, 2020 at 10:09 am
That slice with a soup will be my happy winter day. I will love this any day.
mayurisjikoni
August 29, 2020 at 9:31 pm
Thanks Seema, and the bread is also good for sandwiches.
Priya vj
September 14, 2020 at 1:11 pm
the bread looks so soft and porous. I would love to toast this slice and slather it with some butter and bite into it right away .
mayurisjikoni
September 14, 2020 at 6:40 pm
Thank you so much Priya.
Mina Joshi
September 15, 2020 at 10:09 am
Home made bread with Olives and Onions sounds so good. When it’s freshly made, you don’t need much to enjoy it – just a layer of butter is enough. I am not a great baker but during lock down did try making some and found it therapeutic.
mayurisjikoni
September 15, 2020 at 8:15 pm
Thank you so much Mina. When the bread is fresh you really don’t need anything. In fact we smeared a bit of cream cheese and it tasted awesome.
neeta
December 1, 2020 at 9:42 am
Hi, I love baking my own breads. Tried this recipe. I used half plain flour and half whole wheat flour. Turned out awesome. Thanks for the lovely recipe.Regards
mayurisjikoni
December 1, 2020 at 9:28 pm
You’re most welcome Neeta. Thank you for trying out my recipe. I too use half plain and half wheat.
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