| |

Simple Olive and Rosemary Sourdough Bread

ByAllison
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This delicious sourdough bread is loaded with kalamata olives and fresh rosemary.  It’s the perfect loaf for dipping in olive oil and balsamic, or simply enjoying on its own.

Sourdough olive and rosemary bread loaf sliced in half.

As I continue my journey into mastering sourdough, I want to learn how to do more than simply make traditional loaves.   I’ve come to a place where I’m confident in my artisan loaf, and want to push the boundaries with something different.  That’s where this loaf steps in. 

This olive and rosemary sourdough bread is the first of my “branching out” recipes.  Let me tell you, it doesn’t disappoint!  Still light and airy, this loaf is loaded with flavor. 

This page may contain affiliate links which means that I earn a small commission with no cost to you. Click here for our full disclosure.

What You’ll Need to Make this Bread

Equipment
  • Dutch Oven
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Kitchen Scale or Measuring Cups and Spoons
  • Shaping Basket
  • Large Proofing Bag or Plastic Grocery Bag
  • Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mat
  • Razor Blade, Bread Lame, or Sharp Knife for scoring
  • Bowl Scraper (optional)
Sliced kalamata olives and rosemary sprigs
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup (50 g) Active Sourdough Starter
  • 1 1/3 cups + 2 Tbs. (350 g) Filtered Water
  • 4 cups + 2 Tbs. (500 g) Bread Flour (I prefer this artisan bread flour)
  • 1 ½ tsp. (10 g) Fine Sea Salt
  • ¾ cup (135 g) Kalamata Olives drained and coarsely chopped
  • 1 Tbs. (2 g) Fresh Rosemary coarsely chopped

Method to Make This Olive and Rosemary Sourdough Bread

Autolyse
  1. Mix starter, water, flour, and salt in a large mixing bowl by hand until a shaggy dough forms.  There should be no overly wet or dry spots in the dough.
  2. Cover and rest for 1 hour.
Bulk Ferment
  1. Perform 1 set of stretch and folds (instructions below).  Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
  2. Sprinkle olives and rosemary across the top of the bread dough.  Perform second set of stretch and folds. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
  3. Perform 4 more sets of stretch and folds with 30 minute rest between sets.
  4. After the 6th set of stretch and folds, rest the dough for 2-3 hours until it’s grown by ~ 75% (just shy of doubled).

Shaping and Baking

  1. Scrape your dough onto a floured surface and shape into ball (instructions below).  Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
  2. Turn dough over and shape one additional time.
  3. Move dough, seam side up into a well floured and towel lined shaping basket.  Cover basket with a plastic bag and place in the refrigerator for up to 36 hours.
  4. When ready to bake, preheat Dutch Oven in 500 F degree oven for 30 minutes. 
  5. Remove olive rosemary sourdough from the refrigerator and turn out onto a piece of parchment paper or silicone baking mat.  Use razor blade, bread lame, or sharp knife to score bread to your preference.
  6. Remove Dutch Oven from oven and reduce temperature to 450 F degrees.  Place dough into Dutch oven with the lid on and bake in oven for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, remove the lid and continue to bake for an additional 20 minutes until the bread has a nicely browned crust.
  7. Remove from Dutch Oven and cool for 1 hour before serving.
Sourdough bread dough with olives and rosemary folded in.

How to Stretch and Fold Your Dough:

  1. Pick up one side of your dough and stretch it up about 10 inches.  Next, bring the dough in your hand over to the opposite side of your dough, essentially folding your dough in half.
  2. Turn your bowl 90 degrees and repeat the stretching and folding process. 
  3. Continue turning 90 degrees and repeating until all 4 sides have been stretched and folded over.

*Note: As you do your folds, the dough will not stretch as easily on its own.  This is totally normal.  If my dough doesn’t stretch at all on its own, I will stretch the dough out between my hands, and fold over in half.

How to Shape Your Dough:

Here is a video showing how I shape my dough.

  1. Lay dough out onto a floured surface and shape roughly into a flat circle.
  2. Imagine your dough as a clock.  Pick up the edge of your dough at 12, and fold to the center of your circle. 
  3. Next pick up the edge of your dough at 6 and bring to the center of the circle as well. 
  4. Repeat with the edges of the dough at 3 and 9.
  5. Your dough will now have a square-like appearance.  Pick up the top right corner of the dough and bring it to the center of the dough. 
  6. Next bring the bottom left corner of the dough to the center, then the top left and bottom right to the center.
  7. Pick up your dough and flip it fold side down.
  8. Cup your hands around the dough using your non dominant hand to support the dough, and the dominant hand to move the dough in a circular motion tucking the side under as you go. This is the trickiest part to explain, so I strongly recommend watching the video above.
  9. Continue until you feel the dough become slightly more dense in your non dominant hand, and a smooth exterior starts to form on your dough.

Tips and Tricks for Making Olive and Rosemary Sourdough Bread

  • Make sure you remove as much liquid from the olives as you can prior to adding to your dough.  I strain mine through a mesh strainer, then lay out on a paper towel while I’m making my dough.
  • Don’t worry if it seems like all of the ingredients are clumped together when you add them in.  Continuing with the stretch and fold process helps to evenly distribute them throughout the bread.
  • Fresh rosemary is best, but if you don’t have any available, you can substitute with 1 Tbs. of dried rosemary.

How to Serve Olive and Rosemary Sourdough Bread

  • Slice and serve with butter.  It’s delicious this way toasted or untoasted.
  • Make avocado toast – this is sooooo good!!!  Spread lightly mashed avocado onto a toasted slice of olive and rosemary sourdough bread and sprinkle with everything but the bagel seasoning *chef’s kiss*
  • Slice and dip in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

How to Store this Bread

Place olive and rosemary sourdough bread into an airtight container such as a plastic bag with a paper towel, or beeswax bread bag on its own. 

This bread will keep on its own on the counter for about 3 day, or up to 1 week in the refrigerator (if it lasts that long!)

Other Recipes You Might Like

Sourdough olive and rosemary bread loaf sliced in half.

Rosemary Olive Sourdough Bread

This rosemary and olive sourdough bread is savory and delicious! It's perfect for dipping in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, or as the base for avocado toast!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Fermentation time 18 hours
Course bread
Cuisine Italian
Servings 1 loaf

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • ¼ cup (50 g) Active Sourdough Starter
  • 1 1/3 cups + 2 Tbs. (350 g) Filtered Water
  • 4 cups + 2 Tbs. (500 g) Bread Flour
  • 1 ½ tsp. (10 g) Fine Sea Salt
  • ¾ cup (135 g) Kalamata Olives drained and coarsely chopped
  • 1 Tbs. (2 g) Fresh Rosemary coarsely chopped

Instructions
 

  • Mix starter, water, flour, and salt in a large mixing bowl by hand until a shaggy dough forms.  There should be no overly wet or dry spots in the dough.
  • Cover and rest for 1 hour.
  • Perform 1 set of stretch and folds (instructions below).  Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
  • Sprinkle olives and rosemary across the top of the bread dough.  Perform second set of stretch and folds. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
  • Perform 4 more sets of stretch and folds with 30 minute rest between sets.
  • After the 6th set of stretch and folds, rest the dough for 2-3 hours until it’s grown by ~ 75% (just shy of doubled).
  • Scrape your dough onto a floured surface and shape into ball (instructions below).  Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
  • Turn dough over and shape one additional time following instructions from step 7.
  • Move dough, seam side up into a well floured shaping basket.  Cover basket with a plastic bag and place in the refrigerator for up to 36 hours.
  • When ready to bake, preheat Dutch Oven in 500 F degree oven for 30 minutes.
  • Remove olive rosemary sourdough from the refrigerator and turn out onto a piece of parchment paper or silicone baking mat.  Use razor blade, bread lame, or sharp knife to score bread to your preference.
  • Remove Dutch Oven from oven and reduce temperature to 450 F degrees.  Place dough into Dutch oven with the lid on and bake in oven for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, remove the lid and continue to bake for an additional 20 minutes until the bread has a nicely browned crust.
  • Remove from Dutch Oven and cool for 1 hour before serving.

Notes

How to Stretch and Fold Your Dough:

    1. Pick up one side of your dough and stretch it up about 10 inches.  Next, bring the dough in your hand over to the opposite side of your dough, essentially folding your dough in half.
    2. Turn your bowl 90 degrees and repeat the stretching and folding process. 
    3. Continue turning 90 degrees and repeating until all 4 sides have been stretched and folded over.
*Note: As you do your folds, the dough will not stretch as easily on its own.  This is totally normal.  If my dough doesn’t stretch at all on its own, I will stretch the dough out between my hands, and fold over in half.

How to Shape Your Dough:

Here is a video showing how I shape my dough.
    1. Lay dough out onto a floured surface and shape roughly into a flat circle.
    2. Imagine your dough as a clock.  Pick up the edge of your dough at 12, and fold to the center of your circle. 
    3. Next pick up the edge of your dough at 6 and bring to the center of the circle as well. 
    4. Repeat with the edges of the dough at 3 and 9.
    5. Your dough will now have a square-like appearance.  Pick up the top right corner of the dough and bring it to the center of the dough. 
    6. Next bring the bottom left corner of the dough to the center, then the top left and bottom right to the center.
    7. Pick up your dough and flip it fold side down.
    8. Cup your hands around the dough using your non dominant hand to support the dough, and the dominant hand to move the dough in a circular motion tucking the side under as you go. This is the trickiest part to explain, so I strongly recommend watching the video above.
    9. Continue until you feel the dough become slightly more dense in your non dominant hand, and a smooth exterior starts to form on your dough.
  1.  
  1.  
  1.  
Keyword Sourdough, sourdough bread
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Allison is a wife, mother, homeschooler, and homesteader among other things. She and her husband Steve are currently renovating an old ranch farmhouse in the heart of Texas. She is passionate about clean living and eating. When she's not working on her house, she spends her time with her 2 kids Cody and Emma or in the kitchen creating healthful, delicious food for her family to enjoy.

Similar Posts