Next week is home stretch for the
Greeks’ Great Lent. Our family (like many other Greeks around the world) will surely fast right up until when the bells strike midnight on “Megalo Sabbato” and we crack those first Easter eggs and shout “Christos Anesti” or Christ has risen!
One of foods we will be eating is this olive bread. This recipe comes courtesy of inlaws by marriage who are natives to Halkidiki, the northern Greek summer playground.
Halkidiki is the prefecture that produces a large amount of olives. The most famous olives from Halkidiki are the large, green Gaidouria (donkey) and the black, sweeter & wrinkled Throumpes.
Another thing one will notice near the shorelines of Greece is the growth of wild rosemary. Where our summer home is, residents often have hedges of rosemary doubling as fences around their properties.
This olive bread is a celebration of the bounty of Halkidiki…olives and rosemary. The filling is of sauteed onions, fresh Spring mint and Black Throumpes. The tops of the olive bread are brushed with olive oil and finished off with rosemary. It’s rich in filling, rolled up much like a streudel and served alone or as an accompaniment to a soup.
Olive Bread (Ελιόψωμο)
1 heaping Tbsp. of active dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. salt
6 cups of warm water
1 cup olive oil
8 cups of whole wheat flour
4 cups of all-purpose white flour
Filling
24 medium onions, diced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
4 cups of black Throumpes, pitted and chopped
- Add 1/2 cup olive oil into a large pot and over medium heat add your onions and then saute on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes while stirring and until the onions are translucent and there’s little water left. Add your chopped mint and olives and stir in. Allow to cool before add mixture to the dough.
- In a large bowl, add all the dry ingredients (except sugar) and reserve. In another large bowl, add your warm water, sugar and yeast and allow some moments for the yeast to activate. Now add your olive oil to the yeast starter and then add your wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Knead your dough for about 5 minutes until you get a soft dough. Roll into a large ball and place your dough back into the large bowl. Cover your dough with some olive oil and some plastic cling-wrap. Allow the dough to rise in a warm part of the kitchen for approx. 45 minutes.
- Knead your dough for another 5 minutes and then form into smaller dough balls (which will become your loaves.
- Roll each dough ball out into the size of a large pizza. Spread a layer of the filling across the area of the dough and then roll it up and place on baking tray (seam side down) that’s been treated with cooking spray. Repeat until your dough and filling have been used up to make a total of 8 loaves.
- Brush the tops with olive oil and sprinkle with fresh or dry rosemary. Bake in a pre-heated 450Foven (middle rack for 30 minutes or until light brown.
- Place your baked olive bread on a counter to cool with a tablecloth covering. Allow to rest for 30 minutes before slicing.
Oh my God, this olive bread looks so incredibly delicious. I have to get my butt to Greece like.. NOW!
I’m putting it on my list of things to do before i’m an old crouton. Thanks for the inspiration.
I havent seen a olive bread like this before. I want a loaf.
Can you send some over to the UK?? NOW – by plane LOL – it looks lovely.
Peter, this looks wonderful! I love baking bread so here’s another one of yours I’ve got to try.
I can’t get throumbes, but since you linked to a recipe for salt-curing throumbes, I’m thinking that for this recipe I should use salt-cured olives? As opposed to brined olives? Is that right?
Olive stuffed bread sounds great! Just look at those moist olives falling out of the bread…mmm…
looks great and tasty, but I must try with green olives, I am not a big fan of black olives
I love filled breads. This one is very nice. What type of cigar would you smoke with this? ;)
Thats some serious olive bread Peter. Love the addition of the onions in this.
this is the kinda thing that they serve at a restaurant and you say to your friends: “i just go there for their olive bread…
I absolutely love olive bread. The best I’ve ever had was in Venice, where we’d rented a small apartment next door to a bakery. Every morning we’d pick up a couple of olive rolls, and some taleggio cheese from the bakery adjacent, and that would be breakfast.
Wow that looks amazing- exactly what would hit the spot about now!
LAST YEAR I BRINED MY OWN OLIVES AND AM SO SAD THAT I FORGOT TO SALT-CURE SOME. THE BREAD IS CONFUSING ME AS I AM THINKING WHAT TO EAT WITH IT, BUT I’M SILLY THIS BREAD IS GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT ON ITS OWN.
LAST YEAR I BRINED MY OWN OLIVES AND AM SO SAD THAT I FORGOT TO SALT-CURE SOME. THE BREAD IS CONFUSING ME AS I AM THINKING WHAT TO EAT WITH IT, BUT I’M SILLY THIS BREAD IS GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT ON ITS OWN.
LAST YEAR I BRINED MY OWN OLIVES AND AM SO SAD THAT I FORGOT TO SALT-CURE SOME. THE BREAD IS CONFUSING ME AS I AM THINKING WHAT TO EAT WITH IT, BUT I’M SILLY THIS BREAD IS GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT ON ITS OWN.
LAST YEAR I BRINED MY OWN OLIVES AND AM SO SAD THAT I FORGOT TO SALT-CURE SOME. THE BREAD IS CONFUSING ME AS I AM THINKING WHAT TO EAT WITH IT, BUT I’M SILLY THIS BREAD IS GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT ON ITS OWN.
LAST YEAR I BRINED MY OWN OLIVES AND AM SO SAD THAT I FORGOT TO SALT-CURE SOME. THE BREAD IS CONFUSING ME AS I AM THINKING WHAT TO EAT WITH IT, BUT I’M SILLY THIS BREAD IS GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT ON ITS OWN.
LAST YEAR I BRINED MY OWN OLIVES AND AM SO SAD THAT I FORGOT TO SALT-CURE SOME. THE BREAD IS CONFUSING ME AS I AM THINKING WHAT TO EAT WITH IT, BUT I’M SILLY THIS BREAD IS GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT ON ITS OWN.
LAST YEAR I BRINED MY OWN OLIVES AND AM SO SAD THAT I FORGOT TO SALT-CURE SOME. THE BREAD IS CONFUSING ME AS I AM THINKING WHAT TO EAT WITH IT, BUT I’M SILLY THIS BREAD IS GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT ON ITS OWN.
LAST YEAR I BRINED MY OWN OLIVES AND AM SO SAD THAT I FORGOT TO SALT-CURE SOME. THE BREAD IS CONFUSING ME AS I AM THINKING WHAT TO EAT WITH IT, BUT I’M SILLY THIS BREAD IS GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT ON ITS OWN.
LAST YEAR I BRINED MY OWN OLIVES AND AM SO SAD THAT I FORGOT TO SALT-CURE SOME. THE BREAD IS CONFUSING ME AS I AM THINKING WHAT TO EAT WITH IT, BUT I’M SILLY THIS BREAD IS GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT ON ITS OWN.
Anyway to ship a loaf over to me tonight? ;) Olives and cheese are my favourite and I do love olive bread and wow, yours certainly has loads of olives. mmmm mmmm mmmmm
Oh gosh that bread looks fantastico! I love olives and always have a jar of the salt brined ones in my larder and small packets of salt brined ones mixed with herbs, both green and black, although the black ones are my favs. Your bread looks heavenly. I could make a meal just on that alone!
Wow. I’ve never seen this bread before, it’s beautiful. I also love the description of the rosemary bushes like fences. I bet the aroma is stunning. I love the descriptions of your beautiful country.
Aman! I’m counting the days until I return to a certain bakery near our home on Sithonia where they make not only eliopsomo but a small loaf embedded with crumbled feta. Kalo Pascha!
–Iosifina
The olive breads I’ve seen around town are usually the artisan type with a couple of kalamata olives thrown in for good measure. Your olive bread is really “olive bread” – there’s absolutely no mistaking what’s in it.
Zen, olive bread in our family means Spring…just love the aroma when it’s baking.
Glam…come & get it!!!!
Jan, by the time it gets there…they’ll be croutons!
Lulu, correct…Throumpes are not tangy like the brined ones. Also, where are you located?
Kevin, I just had another slice!
Sylvia, of course you can make your version w/ green olives.
Maryann, smoke? Definitely NOT a Toscani! lol
Pete, it seriously takes great.
Cook, eat fret…would you buy this? (cha-ching)
Lydia, your Venetian experience sounds lovely.
Gabi, get’em while there are hot.
You’re right Nina, this bread is just fine alone.
Pixie, if you want it that bad, come & get some.
Marie, I love all olives too!
Iosifina, I wish I was in Halkidiki for Easter. I’ll be there this August, email me.
Giz, I know…the other olive breads are sadly decorated only…otherwise just good bread.
This looks great. I love olive bread, now I can make some of my own! It will be nice to serve my in-laws, who will (like your family) be fasting right up to the last minute of Saturday.
Peter, I’m in California.
Wow this looks amazing! Delicious *and* gorgeous.
Lulu, you should find Throumpes there. California has good olives and Italian, Greek, Lebanese or Persian stores will have these. Look for “wrinkled” black olives…they are Throumpes.
I’m a sucker for good bread and that looks just perfect!
Of course this would be delicious anytime Peter:D
This is an olive lovers dream! Like Val says, this bread would be wonderful anytime of the year.
8 loaves?! That must mean you have enough to send me some :) Pretty please, with an olive on top?
this olive bread looks PHENOMENAL!! I can’t wait to try this one out at home : )
ps. i’m forwarding your blog to one of my Greek friends who’s also a food enthusiast – great stuff!
A masterpiece of olive goodness!! I would eat this for breakfast!
Wooooowiiiiiii! Please give me the whole thing!!! I won’t leave a single crumb. Que buenoooooo :D Too bad I’m so lazy getting into the baking world… but one day…
Fearless, you have Greek in-laws?
Sylvie, the batch is almost gone!
Vicarious, TY!
Sylvie, I love this bread as it’s so simple.
Val, you know where to find the bread.
Lisa, rejoice in the olive!
Elly, If I could assure the loaf would make it there in tact, I would.
Antonio, welcome and thanks for your kind words. I hope to see your version too!
Marie, we do eat it for brekkie too.
Nuria, it really isn’t that hard.
Oh god Peter… this bread looks AMAZING!
You humble me!
Yum! That’s all, just yum!
Wow – I’ve never seen olive bread like this before – want want want!!!
I think 8 loaves may be a bit too much though – I don’t think I’d have a bowl big enough! Or a kitchen big enough for that matter! ;)
I know that you are a wonderful baker and these are here to prove me right, Pete!
Ahhh, I’m greek too and this olive bread has brought back lovely memories, and has made me homesick :-)) (As has your other post with the beaches)….