
Bread Machine: Kalamata Olive Bread.
A rustic-style loaf with briny Kalamata olives, herbs, and a tender crumb — made effortlessly in your bread machine.
π INGREDIENTS (1 standard 1½–2 lb loaf)
IMPORTANT: Add ingredients in the order recommended by your bread machine manual.
If your manual doesn’t specify, use liquids first → dry ingredients → yeast last (the standard order below).
LIQUID INGREDIENTS
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1 cup + 2 tbsp warm water (250 ml)
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2 tbsp olive oil
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1 tbsp liquid from the olive jar (optional but boosts flavor)
DRY INGREDIENTS
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3 cups bread flour
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1 tbsp sugar
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1½ tsp salt
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1 tsp garlic powder (optional but recommended)
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1 tsp dried rosemary (or thyme, oregano, or Italian seasoning)
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2 tbsp dry milk powder (optional—makes softer crumb)
YEAST
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2¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
or -
2 tsp bread machine yeast
ADD-INS (to be added at the machine’s “mix-in beep”)
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¾ cup Kalamata olives, well-drained and chopped
(Blot with paper towels to remove excess oil/juice) -
Optional:
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¼ cup diced sundried tomatoes
-
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or basil
-
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese (drained well)
-
ππ§ PREPARATION — LONG STEP-BY-STEP VERSION
1. Prepare the olives
Olives must be well-drained or they will make the dough too wet.
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Drain the olives.
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Roughly chop them (not too fine — you want chunks).
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Pat dry with paper towels.
-
Set aside until the machine beeps for add-ins.
πΏ Tip: If your olives are very salty, rinse quickly and pat completely dry.
2. Add the liquid ingredients to the bread machine pan
Pour into the pan in this order:
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Warm water
-
Olive oil
-
Olive brine (optional)
π― Why?
Liquid-first layering helps gluten form properly and keeps the yeast from being activated too early.
3. Add dry ingredients on top of liquids
Add carefully in layers:
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Bread flour
-
Sugar
-
Salt (add near the edge, not touching where yeast will go)
-
Garlic powder
-
Rosemary
-
Dry milk powder
Smooth the flour gently so it forms an even surface.
4. Create a small well and add the yeast
Make a shallow indentation in the top of the flour (do not reach liquid).
Add:
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Active dry yeast or bread machine yeast
π― This prevents premature yeast activation.
5. Select the bread machine cycle
Choose one of these settings:
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Basic / White Bread (best)
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French Bread (chewier crust)
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Dough Cycle (if you plan to shape and bake in oven)
Set:
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Crust: Light or Medium
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Loaf size: 1½ or 2 lb
Press Start.
6. Add olives at the mix-in beep
Most bread machines beep 20–30 minutes into the cycle.
When you hear it:
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Add the chopped Kalamata olives
-
Add optional sundried tomatoes or herbs
π― Do NOT add olives at the beginning — they will get mashed into paste.
7. Let the machine knead and rise
The dough should look:
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Smooth
-
Elastic
-
Slightly tacky, not sticky
If needed:
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If dough is too dry → add 1 tsp water
-
If too wet → add 1 tsp flour
(Do this within the first kneading cycle.)
8. Let the machine bake the loaf
The machine will rise → punch down → rise again → bake.
When it finishes:
-
Carefully remove pan
-
Cool loaf on a rack at least 1 hour before slicing
π― Cooling prevents gummy, doughy texture.
π½️ HOW TO SERVE
Kalamata Olive Bread is amazing with:
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Olive oil + balsamic vinegar
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Grilled chicken or lamb
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Tomato basil soup
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Charcuterie and cheese boards
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Pasta dishes
πΏ FLAVOR VARIATIONS (LONGER VERSION)
1. Greek-Style Kalamata Olive Bread
Add at beep:
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¾ cup olives
-
¼ cup crumbled feta
-
1 tbsp fresh oregano
Finish with olive oil brushed on top.
2. Rosemary–Olive Artisan Bread
Add:
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1 tsp rosemary in dough
-
1 tbsp extra rosemary at beep
-
1 tbsp olive oil brushed on crust after baking
3. Kalamata + Sun-Dried Tomato Bread
Add at beep:
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½ cup olives
-
½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
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½ cup grated parmesan
Great for sandwiches.
4. Spicy Mediterranean Olive Bread
Add:
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1 chopped jalapeΓ±o or 1 tsp red pepper flakes
-
1 tsp smoked paprika
-
½ cup olives
5. Olive + Herb Focaccia (Bread Machine Dough Cycle)
Make dough only → remove → press into pan → top with:
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Olive oil
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Olives
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Cherry tomatoes
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Sea salt
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Rosemary
Bake at 425°F for 15–20 minutes.
π ️ TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
Bread too dense?
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Add 1 extra tbsp water
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Use bread flour, not all-purpose
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Make sure yeast is fresh
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Do NOT add olives too early
Loaf collapses?
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Too much liquid → reduce by 1–2 tbsp
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Salt too low → balance the dough
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Olives added too early → ruins structure
Bread too salty?
-
Rinse olives
-
Reduce salt to 1 tsp
-
Skip adding olive brine
Bread too wet?
-
Blot olives thoroughly
-
Reduce water by 1 tbsp next time
π§ STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS
Room Temperature
3–4 days, wrapped in foil or airtight bag.
Refrigerator
Up to 1 week.
Freezer
Up to 2 months.
Slice before freezing for easy toasting.
* 1/3 to 1/2 cup brine from olives
* Warm water, enough to make 1 1/2 cups when combined with brine
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 3 cups bread flour
* 1 2/3 cups whole wheat flour
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried leaf basil
* 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
* 1/2 to 2/3 cup finely chopped kalamata olives (about 2 dozen pitted olives)
Bread Machine Recipe Instruction:



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