No Knead Olive Bread
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Homemade no-knead olive bread perfectly blends artisan bread with salty Mediterranean flavor. This simple recipe takes only 10 minutes of work! This artisan-type bread is perfect for dinner parties, holidays, special occasions, and potlucks.
No-knead olive bread is the kind of recipe that makes you feel like a bread-baking pro with minimal effort. It’s a rustic, crusty loaf loaded with rich, salty olives. It is perfect for dunking in creamy mushroom soup, serving alongside lemon garlic pasta, vegan pasta puttanesca, or dipping in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
If this is your first time making no-knead bread, get ready to make the easiest bread ever! Start by mixing the ingredients in a large bowl. Then let it rest for 16 hours, shape it, rest again, and bake. The yeast does all the work, and the extended rise gives the bread a rich flavor.
If you have a Dutch oven, you will want to bake this bread in it. The Dutch oven will mimic a commercial bread oven. It has steam pumped through it. The steam gives the bread its crisp golden crust. But if you don’t have a Dutch oven, you can still make no-knead bread on a baking sheet. The crust will be less crusty, but the bread will still be delicious!
I am such a fan of no-knead bread that I have made a traditional artisan version and a no-knead focaccia bread. I have to make no-knead focaccia because it’s the one bread I can never get right the traditional way. Once you are ready to enjoy your bread, remember the olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- This no-knead bread recipe only takes 15 minutes of hands-on work.
- No kneading or mixer is needed. In other words, the yeast does all the work while you sleep.
- Artisan bread brings the WOW factor!
- The olives give it an artisan Mediterranean flair!
Ingredients
Key Ingredient Notes
Flour
All-purpose flour is the perfect flour for this bread recipe. Bread flour is also a great choice!
Olives
Use your favorite variety of olives or an olive mix. Be sure to choose pitted olives. If you can’t find pre-pitted ones, remove the pits yourself. Three easy-to-find types are:
- Black Olives: These olives are easy to buy and slice, making them an easy choice. They are also very mild in flavor, making them perfect for people who like olives but don’t love them.
- Kalamata Olives: They have a strong salty flavor. This is the perfect choice for olive lovers (I eat them like candy; I love them so much!) During baking, Kalamatas will darken and look black. This is normal.
- Spanish Olives: They are the perfect middle ground. They have an olive flavor, but not too overpowering.
Yeast
This recipe uses dry active yeast, the equivalent of one package. Always check the package to make sure the yeast hasn’t expired.
See the recipe card for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make No-Knead Olive Bread
Step One: Mix Ingredients
In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast, salt, and water. Stir the mixture until a sticky dough forms.
Note: Place the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl initially. Direct contact can deactivate the yeast, but once it’s mixed with the flour, it is no longer an issue.
Step Two: Add the Olives
Drain the olives and pat them dry. Remove the pits, if necessary, and roughly chop the olives. Pat the chopped olives dry again to remove excess moisture.
Step Three: Rest and Rise
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rest at room temperature for 16 to 18 hours. Yes, it takes that long!
Note: This extended rise is key to developing a rich flavor. If your home is cold, the dough may need more time to rise. If it’s warm, it may rise faster.
Step Four: Shaping
Prepare a sheet of parchment paper by lightly dusting it with flour. Gently turn the dough out of the bowl with a spatula or your hands. Place the dough onto the parchment paper and shape it into a ball.
Cover the dough with a lightly oiled piece of plastic wrap to prevent sticking. Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes. While the dough is resting, preheat your oven to 450°F (225°C). Place your Dutch oven, with its lid on, on the middle rack to preheat. The Dutch oven must be very hot when the dough goes in.
Step Five: Bake
Carefully transfer the dough (still on the parchment paper) into the preheated Dutch oven. Use a sharp knife to score an “X” into the top. Cover the Dutch oven with its lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for 15 to 20 more minutes, or until the crust turns a deep golden brown. To test if the bread is fully cooked, tap the underside. If it’s cooked, it will sound hollow.
My Best Tip
- Use a Dutch oven to bake this bread. It creates an environment that mimics a commercial oven, resulting in a perfect golden crust.
Frequently Asked Questions
Storing Instructions
Store this bread at room temperature for up to two days. Wrap it in a tea towel or paper bag. If you store it in plastic, the bread will become soft, and you will lose the crisp crust.
You can slice and freeze the bread if you need to store it longer. First, let it cool to room temperature. Wrap each slice individually in plastic wrap or parchment paper, then place it in a freezer bag. When you’re ready to eat, take a slice and toast it or warm it in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes.
More Bread Recipes
Credit: This recipe was adapted from Jim Lahey no-kneed recipe printed in the NYT in 2006.
How Did It Go?
I hope you loved this no-knead olive bread recipe as much as I do! Before you go, please leave me a rating and a comment letting me know how it went.
No-Knead Olive Bread (Dutch Oven)
Equipment
- 1 Dutch oven or baking sheet
- 1 large bowl
- 1 sheet of parchment paper
- 2 sheets of plastic wrap
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1½ cups water, room temperature
- 1 cup olives, drained, pitted, and roughly chopped
- Kalamata, Castelvetrano, or a mix work well
Instructions
Step One: Mix the Dough
- In a large bowl, add the flour, yeast, salt, and water.
- Important: Place the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl at first. Direct contact can deactivate the yeast, but once everything is mixed with the flour, this is no longer an issue.
- Stir until the dough forms a sticky, shaggy mass. Do not knead the dough.
Step Two: Prepare the Olives
- Drain the olives and pat them dry with paper towels. Remove pits if needed, then roughly chop the olives.
- Pat the chopped olives dry again to remove excess moisture. This helps prevent a gummy loaf.
Step Three: Rest and Rise
- Gently fold the olives into the dough.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rest at room temperature for 16 to 18 hours. Note: This long rise is essential for flavor development.
- If your home is cool, the dough may need more time. If it’s warm, it may rise a bit faster. The dough should look bubbly and expanded when ready. The dough should look bubbly and expanded when ready.
Step Four: Shape the Dough
- Lightly dust a sheet of parchment paper with flour.
- Using a spatula or your hands, gently release the dough from the bowl and place it onto the parchment.
- Shape the dough into a loose ball. Do not overwork it.
- Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap to prevent sticking and let rest for 30 minutes.
- While the dough rests, preheat the oven to 450°F (225°C). Place a Dutch oven with its lid on the middle rack to preheat. The pot must be very hot.
Step Five: Bake
- Carefully transfer the parchment paper with the dough into the hot Dutch oven.
- Using a sharp knife or bread lame, score an “X” on top of the dough.
- Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the lid and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown
- To check doneness, tap the underside of the loaf. If it sounds hollow, it’s ready.
Cool and Serve
- Transfer the bread to a wire rack and let it cool completely before slicing.