The whole wheat olive bread has a truly unique taste, a variant worth trying. It’s very easy to make and really pleases the whole family. The dough prepared with sourdough starter and the addition of black olives is very appetizing. In fact, it is perfect for accompanying appetizers and buffets. Bread made with natural yeast is not only good and healthy, but it also keeps much longer than bread made with commercial yeast. For those not using natural yeast, it can be substituted with about 3 g of dry yeast, or 5 g of fresh yeast.
If you love homemade bread, you should also try:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economic
- Rest time: 12 Hours
- Preparation time: 35 Minutes
- Portions: 10
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 132.28 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 21.91 (g) of which sugars 0.63 (g)
- Proteins 4.08 (g)
- Fat 3.30 (g) of which saturated 0.46 (g)of which unsaturated 0.79 (g)
- Fibers 2.67 (g)
- Sodium 286.18 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 60 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Whole Wheat Olive Bread
- 4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup sourdough starter (refreshed)
- 1.5 cups water
- 1.5 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup black olives (pitted)
Tools for Whole Wheat Olive Bread
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Mixer
- 1 Proofing Basket
- Parchment Paper
- Plastic Wrap
Steps for Whole Wheat Olive Bread
Always start with refreshing the sourdough starter, I usually prepare it early in the morning. Then I let the dough rest at room temperature inside a container covered with plastic wrap for about 3/4 hours.
Once the starter has doubled in volume, I begin the bread dough. Dissolve the sourdough starter in the water and add 100 g of whole wheat flour and a bit of water, gradually working the dough. Continue with the remaining flour and water.
Finish with the extra virgin olive oil and salt, if you’re working the dough by hand, knead energetically for at least 15 minutes. Otherwise, you can use a stand mixer. Once your dough is nice and elastic, let it rest for at least 20 minutes covered with a kitchen towel.
After the resting time, take the dough and place it on a work surface, working the dough by making stretch and fold: open the dough and fold it over itself 3 times, create a dough ball again and let it rest for 15 minutes. After the time, make the stretch and fold again, finally take the pitted olives and incorporate them into the dough.
Create a nice loaf and place it in a proofing basket, alternatively you can use a bowl lined with parchment paper.
Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel on top, leave the dough at room temperature for about 2 hours. After the time, transfer the basket to the fridge, on the bottom shelf, and let it proof overnight.
The next morning, preheat the oven to 482°F (250°C) in static mode and place a small bowl filled with water on the lowest shelf of the oven, it will help maintain good humidity during baking. When the oven reaches temperature, transfer the bread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; before baking, make a cut in the dough with a bread cutter, this will allow the bread to expand during baking.
Bake for about 50/60 minutes, after the time, lower the temperature to 392°F (200°C), remove the water bowl and leave the oven slightly open. Just put a wooden spoon between the oven and the door.
Continue baking for another 15 minutes, this will create a vent in the oven to expel all the humidity, keeping the bread soft inside with a crunchy crust.
Remember, baking time and temperature are indicative, always adjust to your oven.
Once ready, remove the bread from the oven and let it cool standing upright, maybe against a kitchen wall. This will let the steam escape without making the crust soggy.Slice the bread and enjoy it as you like, happy indulge!
Storage of Whole Wheat Olive Bread
Sourdough starter can be replaced with 4 g of dry yeast.
Whole wheat olive bread can be stored in a paper bag, even better if it’s made of cloth. If you want, you can also freeze it whole or in single portions in suitable freezing bags and always have it fresh at the table.
