Fluffy olive bread

Patricia, author of Sabores y Momentos , surprises us this time with a rich and easy spongy bread: a recipe for olive bread that will become a classic at home. You will 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 improvised, that if some friends that we have just met come, or the grandparents arrive and stay for dinner, or finally there will be 7 of us for dinner because apart from us 5 two friends of the children come…. It is a non-stop, but don't miss it! That those are the moments that are enjoyed!

I bring you what looks like bread but it is not bread in the strict sense, because the recipe is similar to that of a sponge cake and the texture too, but it works as bread because of its salty flavor with nuances and texture of olives and because it is the perfect accompaniment to any appetizer or meal this holiday season!

I've been making this recipe for years and I always like it. Usually I present it in a rectangular or cake mold, but this time I wanted a more cute presentation and I baked it in the new rectangular mold made of stainless steel from De Buyer. And I have loved the experience, because not only was it done quickly and uniformly , but the unmolding was a matter of seconds with the reusable paper that it comes with and best of all, with this recipe I got two loaves of olives and I was able to present one on each side of the table (we were quite a few, hahaha!).

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

For this recipe, I have also used the set of Seeds and Olive Flour from La Chinata as a novelty and I loved it! The only thing that needs to be done when preparing the recipe is to replace 5% to 15% of our usual flour with olive seed flour and whole seeds in the mixture, to enhance the flavor, and it really shows! the difference!! It has been quite a discovery, since the pack consists of the seeds extracted from the olive pit itself, although presented in the form of flour and in the form of a seed, which gives you a lot of play. It can also be used in a number of recipes, simply by substituting a bit of your flour for olive flour... muffins, breads, bundts... whatever comes to mind!

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

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

Preparation

1. We begin by preheating the oven to 180º and preparing the mold in which we are going to bake it, we will grease it with butter (that of doing it in a rectangular mold like the one from Le Creuset , although this step will not be necessary if you use the stainless steel mold De buyer ). And we reserve.
2. In a large bowl, pour the oil and natural yogurt, and stir until both textures are mixed. Next, add the normal flour, the yeast and the olive flour and mix well with the help of electric whisks but at a very low speed, or even with manual whisks .
3. Next we are adding the eggs one by one, beating between one and the other so that they are well integrated.
4. 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 fully integrated.
6. Pour the dough into the mold and bake for 25-30 minutes if it is the usual rectangular mold, and approximately 20 minutes in the De Buyer stainless steel mold , or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Remove from the oven, let cool on a rack for about 10 minutes and remove from the mold. We will let it continue to cool but directly on the rack (on baking paper) or on the table or tray where we are going to serve it.

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

La Chinata Olive Seeds and Flour Set , Bérard flour spoon and Le Creuset bowls

GRADES

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