Rosemary Olive Parmesan Sourdough Bread
Sourdough olive bread recipe is perfect for olive lovers. Olive sourdough bread has a crispy, chewy crust and soft inside that’s full of kalamata olive, rosemary, garlic, and parmesan cheese. Serve this flavorful bread at your next dinner party or on a cheese and charcuterie board.
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Learning how to make sourdough olive bread couldn’t be easier. Briny olives are folded with parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and dried rosemary into sourdough for a savory bread that is packed with flavor.
Sourdough
If you’ve been around for a bit, you know that I love to bake using my sourdough starter. In fact, I use it every time I make homemade bread.
It all started years ago when I made my own sourdough starter using a bit of flour, water, and some patience. In no time, I had a bubbly, mature starter. Even after years of baking, it never ceases to amaze me how 4 simple sourdough bread ingredients can produce such a lovely loaf of bread.
But that’s not all! Aside from making homemade bread, I use my starter to make focaccia bread, thicken bechamel sauce, or make homemade granola.
Olive Sourdough Bread Ingredients
- Sourdough starter – You will need to have an active sourdough starter, meaning that it has been fed recently and allowed to come to its peak. The starter will have doubled in size since its feeding and you should see plenty of air bubbles in the starter.
- Olives—With so many types of olives, how do you know which type to choose? Technically, there are no green olive trees. Green olives are unripe olives that ripen into black olives, with a spectrum of hues between the two. This olive sourdough bread recipe uses kalamata olives, but it would look stunning if half of the olives were green olives, like castelvetrano olives.
- Flour – A strong bread flour will provide the structure to hold the olives and produce a chewy loaf. You can use all-purpose flour, but the loaf may not have as tall of a rise.
- Water
- Salt – Flavors the bread, but also helps strengthen the gluten structure.
- Garlic powder – Garlic powder is an easy way to add flavor without the need for an additional step of roasting garlic cloves.
- Parmesan – Buy a block of parmesan and grate it yourself instead of buying the grated stuff in the green canisters. Although grating yourself is an extra step, it’s worth it because it has a better flavor and doesn’t have added anticaking agents.
- Rosemary – Dried rosemary makes it easy
How To Make Rosemary Olive Sourdough Bread
Rosemary parmesan kalamata olive sourdough bread is a flavorful, easy bread to make for any occasion.
Prep
Measure 165 g (1 cup) olives and place in a strainer. Then rinse them under warm water to remove as much of the salty brine as you can. Place olives on a paper towel and press with a second paper towel to dry the olives the best you can. Give the olives a rough chop on a cutting board with a sharp knife.
Feed your sourdough starter 4-6 hours before you plan to mix your dough. I like to feed my starter a ratio of 1:1:1.
Mix
Combine 125 g (1/2 cup) sourdough starter, 375 g (1 1/2 cup) water, and 2 tsp salt, in a large bowl using a Danish dough whisk. Next, add 500 g (4 cups) bread flour and mix it in until all of the flour is incorporated with the wet ingredients until a shaggy dough forms.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. This gives the flour a chance to properly hydrate.
Stretch and Folds
Do a series of stretch and folds to strengthen the gluten in the dough. Grab the side of the dough and lift it straight up and then fold it over onto itself in the middle of the dough. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Continue stretching and folding the dough until it starts to feel resistant, generally 6-8 folds. Cover the bowl and let rest for 10 minutes. This completes your first stretch and fold set.
Use wet hands if you find the dough sticks too much to your hands when you do your stretch and folds.
Continue stretching and folding the dough until you have completed 5 sets of stretch and folds. At the 4th set of stretch and folds, add the olives, 2 tsp dried rosemary, 1 tsp garlic powder, and 75 g (3/4 cups) grated parmesan cheese before you stretch and fold the dough. The add-ins will distribute throughout the dough as you fold it.
Bulk Ferment
After the stretch and folds are done, cover the bowl and place in a warm spot in the kitchen to let the dough rise. The bulk fermentation time will take 8-12 hours, but the time largely depends on the temperature of your kitchen. The dough is ready to be shaped when it has passed the finger poke test, or has almost doubled in size. (the picture left is at the beginning of the bulk ferment. The picture right is after the bulk ferment) I like to do this step overnight.
With a floured finger, poke the dough. If the dough springs back completely, it needs more time to ferment. If the dough springs back, partially filling in the indentation, then it’s ready to bake. If the hole doesn’t spring back at all, it’s likely over proofed. You can continue baking over proofed bread, but it will likely be dense with minimal rise. Otherwise you can make it into fry bread. Divide and flatten the dough and fry it in a hot pan until it’s done.
Shape
The next day turn the bread dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Fold the top of the dough halfway down until it reaches the center of the dough. Next, fold the bottom of the dough up to meet the middle of the dough. Do the same with each side of the dough, folding inward to the center of the dough. Using a bench scraper helps to lift the dough from the work surface.
Flip the dough over so that the folds are facing downward. With your hands cupped on the far side of the dough ball, gently pull the loaf towards you, with your pinkie fingers gently pushing the dough under itself. Readjust your hands and repeat, pull the dough towards you until the dough is in the shape of a ball.
Lift the shaped dough into a banneton dusted with rice flour with the seam side up. If you don’t own a proofing basket, lift the dough onto a piece of parchment paper with the seams facing down, and then lift the dough using the parchment paper into a bowl and cover.
Proof
Proof the olive bread dough on the counter at room temperature for 2 hours, or until the dough looks puffy and light. Alternatively, you can refrigerate the dough to cold proof for up to 48 hours. Place the banneton in a plastic bag so the dough doesn’t dry out.
Bake
Preheat the Dutch oven at 450°F/230°C for 45 minutes.
Score the surface of the dough with a lame or a sharp knife and place in the hot Dutch oven. Bake for 30 minutes with the lid, and then an additional 15 minutes without the lid. The bread is done when the internal temperature reaches 200°F/95°C.
Store
Place the olive bread on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing the bread. Store bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
FAQs and Tips
- Use a kitchen scale for the most consistent results.
- Be sure to rinse and dry the olives before adding to the dough.
What To Eat With Olive Sourdough Bread?
Here are some serving ideas now that you know how to make olive sourdough bread.
- Add slices of olive sourdough bread with your cheese or charcuterie board at your next gathering.
- Serve with a Greek Salad.
- Dip into a olive oil dipping oil.
- Use olive sour dough bread for an amped up grilled cheese sandwich.
Rosemary Olive Parmesan Sourdough Bread
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Ingredients
- 375 g water 1½ cups
- 125 g active sourdough starter ½ cup
- 2 tsp salt
- 500 g bread flour 4 cups
- 165 g kalamata olives 1 cup
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp rosemary
- 75 g parmesan cheese ¾ cup
Instructions
Prep
- Measure 165 g (1 cup) olives and place in a strainer. Then rinse them under warm water to remove as much of the salty brine as you can. Place olives on a paper towel and press with a second paper towel to dry the olives the best you can. Give the olives a rough chop on a cutting board with a sharp knife.
- Feed your sourdough starter 4-6 hours before you plan to mix your dough. I like to feed my starter a ratio of 1:1:1.
Mix
- Combine 125 g (1/2 cup) sourdough starter, 375 g (1 1/2 cup) water, and 2 tsp salt, in a large bowl using a Danish dough whisk. Next, add 500 g (4 cups) bread flour and mix it in until all of the flour is incorporated with the wet ingredients until a shaggy dough forms.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. This gives the flour a chance to properly hydrate.
Stretch and Folds
- Do a series of stretch and folds to strengthen the gluten in the dough. Grab the side of the dough and lift it straight up and then fold it over onto itself in the middle of the dough. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Continue stretching and folding the dough until it starts to feel resistant, generally 6-8 folds. Cover the bowl and let rest for 10 minutes. This completes your first stretch and fold set.
- Use wet hands if you find the dough sticks too much to your hands when you do your stretch and folds.
- Continue stretching and folding the dough until you have completed 5 sets of stretch and folds. At the 4th set of stretch and folds, add the olives, 2 tsp dried rosemary, 1 tsp garlic powder, and 75 g (3/4 cups) grated parmesan cheese before you stretch and fold the dough. The add-ins will distribute throughout the dough as you fold it.
Bulk Ferment
- After the stretch and folds are done, cover the bowl and place in a warm spot in the kitchen to let the dough rise. The bulk fermentation time will take 8-12 hours, but the time largely depends on the temperature of your kitchen. The dough is ready to be shaped when it has passed the finger poke test, or has almost doubled in size. I like to do this step overnight.
- With a floured finger, poke the dough. If the dough springs back completely, it needs more time to ferment. If the dough springs back, partially filling in the indentation, then it’s ready to bake. If the hole doesn’t spring back at all, it’s likely over proofed. You can continue baking over proofed bread, but it will likely be dense with minimal rise. Otherwise you can make it into fry bread. Divide and flatten the dough and fry it in a hot pan until it’s done.
Shape
- The next day turn the bread dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Fold the top of the dough halfway down until it reaches the center of the dough. Next, fold the bottom of the dough up to meet the middle of the dough. Do the same with each side of the dough, folding inward to the center of the dough. Using a bench scraper helps to lift the dough from the work surface.
- Flip the dough over so that the folds are facing downward. With your hands cupped on the far side of the dough ball, gently pull the loaf towards you, with your pinkie fingers gently pushing the dough under itself. Readjust your hands and repeat, pull the dough towards you until the dough is in the shape of a ball.
- Lift the shaped dough into a banneton dusted with rice flour with the seam side up. If you don’t own a proofing basket, lift the dough onto a piece of parchment paper with the seams facing down, and then lift the dough using the parchment paper into a bowl and cover.
Proof
- Proof the olive bread dough on the counter at room temperature for 2 hours, or until the dough looks puffy and light. Alternatively, you can refrigerate the dough to cold proof for up to 48 hours. Place the banneton in a plastic bag so the dough doesn’t dry out.
Bake
- Preheat the Dutch oven at 450°F/230°C for 45 minutes.
- Score the surface of the dough with a lame or a sharp knife and place in the hot Dutch oven. Bake for 30 minutes with the lid, and then an additional 15 minutes without the lid. The bread is done when the internal temperature reaches 200°F/95°C.
Store
- Place the olive bread on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing the bread. Store bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
