First, I have to confess: I am obsessed with olives. Kalamata olives, in particular, are my favorite and exactly what I used in this recipe. Rosemary is another quiet favorite of mine, a bit of a secret weapon herb that I somehow forget about until moments like this. I grow it all summer long and harvest as much as I can to dry for winter, specifically for recipes like this one.
We love rosemary in this bread, and we also love it on French fries… but I’ll save that for another post.
This recipe is devoted to my love for olives, rosemary, bread—and, okay, butter too. Irish butter, to be exact. But first things first: let me share this simple, delicious artisan loaf with you.
Rosemary + Kalamata Olive Artisan Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1-½ cups warm water
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic salt
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
- ½ tsp yeast
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 cup kalamata olives, roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix all ingredients until dough forms. Add more flour, if dough is still sticky.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature for 8–24 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 450°F. Warm the Dutch oven inside for 30 minutes (with lid on).
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and let it rest for 30 minutes while the Dutch oven is warming.
- Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven, lightly butter the inside, and place the dough inside. You can attempt cutting a pattern in the dough (I need to work on this, but sometimes make at least an X, or don’t do anything). Cover with the lid.
- Bake covered for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for an additional 5–10 minutes, until the loaf is golden and crusty.
- Remove from the pot and let cool slightly before slicing (if you can wait).
Serving & Storage
Best enjoyed warm with a generous pat of Irish butter. Allow the loaf to cool completely before storing. Keeps well in a plastic bag at room temperature for 2–3 days. If you happen to have leftovers, refrigerate or freeze for later use.
Favorite things notes…
Here are a few of my favorite tools and ingredients I use when baking bread:
- I bake this loaf in cast iron. I like to make both round and oblong loaves, so I rotate between a couple of different pots. For the round one, click here. For an oblong loaf, click here. The round pot linked is the exact one I use. My oblong pot is from IKEA and no longer available, but the linked option is very similar.
- If you haven’t tried Irish butter yet, I highly recommend Kerrygold. You can find it at most grocery stores, Aldi carrys it, and Costco does too {click here} if you’re like me and prefer to buy it in bulk. I always keep butter stored at room temperature in a container like this {click here} and keep a spreader knife with it {click here}.
I hope you enjoy this recipe. If you do, I have a few more bread flavors coming soon… Cracked Pepper + Asiago Bread and Jalapeño Cheddar Bread …so stay tuned.
xx, ej