Fluffy olive bread

Patricia, author of Sabores y Momentos , surprises us this time with a delicious and easy fluffy bread: an olive bread recipe that will become a classic at home. You'll see how not even the crumbs remain!

With the arrival of summer, meals on the terrace or porch, dinners in the garden with friends and simple but original snacks become a summer classic. At home we are very much into improvising, whether it's friends we've just met, or grandparents come and stay for dinner, or finally there will be 7 of us for dinner because apart from the 5 of us, two of the kids' friends are coming... It's non-stop, but it's not missing! These are the moments to enjoy!

I bring you what looks like bread but is not actually bread, as the recipe is similar to that of a cake and the texture is too, but it acts as bread due to its salty flavor with nuances and texture of olives and because it is the perfect accompaniment to any appetizer or meal during these holidays!

I have been making this recipe for years and people always like it. I usually serve it in a rectangular or cake tin, but this time I wanted a cuter presentation and I baked it in the new rectangular stainless steel tin from De Buyer. I loved the experience, because not only was it quick and even , but unmolding was a matter of seconds with the reusable paper it comes with and best of all, with this recipe I got two olive loaves and I was able to serve one on each side of the table (there were quite a few of us, hahaha!).

Le Creuset mixing bowl , Tokyo Design Textured ceramic plate and Pallarès knife

For this recipe, I also used the new La Chinata Olive Seed and Flour set and I loved it! The only thing you have to do when making the recipe is to replace 5% to 15% of your usual flour with olive seed flour and whole seeds in the mix, to enhance the flavour and you can really tell the difference!! It was a real discovery, as the pack consists of seeds extracted from the olive stone itself, although presented in the form of flour and in the form of seeds, which gives you a lot of options. In addition, it can be used in many recipes, simply by replacing a little of your flour with olive flour... muffins, breads, bundts... whatever you can think of!

Ingredients (for 1 normal rectangular mould or 2 units with the De Buyer mould)

• 250g flour
• 25g of La Chinata olive flour
• 125ml mild olive oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 natural yogurt
• 60ml of water
• 1 pinch of salt and pepper
• 1 envelope of yeast
• 1 glass of chopped olives of various varieties (Arbequina, black, seasoned...the ones you like the most and provide the most flavor)
• 2 tablespoons of La Chinata olive seeds
• A handful of Provencal herbs: thyme, oregano…

Preparation

1. We start by preheating the oven to 180º and preparing the mold in which we are going to bake it, we will spread it with butter (this should be done in a rectangular mold such as the one from Le Creuset , although this step will not be necessary if you use the De Buyer stainless steel mold ). And we set aside.
2. In a large bowl , pour the oil and natural yogurt and stir until both textures are mixed. Then add the plain flour, the baking powder and the olive flour and mix well with the help of an electric whisk but at very low speed, or even with a manual whisk .
3. Next we add the eggs one by one, beating them one after the other so that they are well integrated.
4. We pour the water into our mixture, stir well and add the salt and pepper.
5. Finally, add the glass of chopped olives, the two tablespoons of olive seeds and the Provencal herbs, and stir well until everything is completely integrated.
6. Pour the batter into the mould and bake for 25-30 minutes if it is the usual rectangular mould, and approximately 20 minutes in the De Buyer stainless steel mould , or until a toothpick inserted into the mould comes out clean.
7. Remove from the oven, let cool on a rack for about 10 minutes and then remove from the mould. Allow to continue cooling but either directly on the rack (on baking paper) or on the board or tray where you are going to serve it.

You will see how delicious this bread is. You can also decorate it with fresh herbs and serve it with a cheese board. It's a great option!

La Chinata Olive Seed and Flour Set , Bérard Flour Scoop and Le Creuset Bowls

GRADES

• You can make this same recipe in the De Buyer rectangular mould, which is narrower and gives you a lot of room to play with, but also cooks faster than in other moulds. With the proportions in the recipe, you will get two loaves with this mould.
• You can also use one of the more common rectangular moulds, such as Le Creuset or Birkmann . As they are taller and wider, they require a little more baking time, but the results will be just as delicious.