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

A tasty, soft crumb, slightly crusty onion and olive bread. Perfect, to enjoy with soups and stews or as sandwich bread.

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course Bread, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 1 MEDIUM LOAF

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.

Keyword bread, cheese, homebaked, homemade, how to make bread, onion and olive bread recipe, savoury bread

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