Olive oil bread
See this recipe step by step

Olive oil bread

Follow this simple step-by-step method for a homemade loaf, or adapt to include your favourite flavours

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Makes 1 loaf

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 10 mins

Cook time

Cook 35 mins

plus rising
Freezable

Method

  1. Tip the flour into a mixing bowl. For easy-blend dried yeast, stir this into the flour. For fresh yeast, crumble it and rub into the flour as you would with butter when making pastry. Add the salt and sugar.
  2. Boil the kettle and measure 100ml into a jug. Top up with cold water to the 300ml mark. Test the temperature with your finger - it should feel perfectly hand-hot. Add the oil.
  3. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid all at once. Mix quickly using your hands or a wooden fork to make a soft and slightly sticky dough. Wipe the dough around the bowl to pick up any loose flour.
  4. Sprinkle the work surface with flour and tip out the dough. Knead by stretching it away from you, then folding it in half towards you and pushing it away with the heel of your hand. Give it a quarter turn and repeat, developing a rhythm.
  5. When the dough is smooth, put it back into the mixing bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to rest for 1 hr (no need to find a warm place). The dough is ready when it springs back when you press it with your finger. (At this stage, you can add other flavourings - see 'Goes well with', right).
  6. Tip dough onto a floured surface, knead to remove air bubbles. Shape into a round, place on an oiled baking sheet and slash top with sharp knife. Cover and rise for 30 mins. Heat oven to 240C/220C fan/gas 8. Bake for 30-35 mins until browned and crisp.
Try

Make double

Make double quantity of dough and put half into a large, oiled food bag, with room for rising. Leave overnight in the fridge to rise. Bring back to room temperature, then shape, prove and bake as above. You'll have fresh bread for two days.

Freeze ahead

For part-baked bread, reduce cooking time to 25 mins until pale golden. Cool, then freeze. To bake, defrost, then bake for 15-20 mins until crisp and browned. Or, to freeze cooked bread, wrap the cooled loaf in a freezer wrap or a food bag, excluding as much air as possible and sealing well. Label and freeze for up to 1 month.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, April 2011.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 1-20

  • Binder photo moonmoth

    16 March 2011

    moonmoth rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This bread was absoloutely delicious! This was the first time i have attempted bread, and definitely not the last. Using the easy instructions, i really enjoyed baking two loaves of bread. I added a jar of olives to one of the loaves, and am already thinking of different combinations of ingredients to add to any more i do. Next one i try is going to be a wholemeal walnut and raisin loaf. The bread was a scrummy accompaniment to our soup this evening. A definite winner!

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  • Binder photo MarKettle

    22 March 2011

    MarKettle rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Fool proof! Made 6 of these loaves since I got my copy of the magazine, and each one has turned out perfectly. A consistently reliable recipe, even my 3 year old 'helped' with one loaf and it still turned out faultless

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  • Binder photo Jane Townley

    22 March 2011

    Jane Townley rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Have only ever made bread in a bread maker. This recipe was easy to follow and the end result was great. Will certainly be making it again.

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  • Binder photo aussiechick

    24 April 2011

    aussiechick rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I've just taken a loaf of this bread out of the oven - it looks & smells fantastic, can't wait to eat it. It was so easy & quick to make - Mary Cadogan's Cook School Secrets series is brilliant!

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  • Binder photo Hezz

    05 May 2011

    Hezz rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    baked another loaf of this the other day, absolutely lovely,but i`ve one little problem. Can anyone help please my loaf is very brown before it is ready almost burnt, where am I going wrong

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  • Binder photo Emmpty

    09 May 2011

    Emmpty rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Fantastic results which disappeared far too quickly. An easy recipe that isn't a chore to do, so I will be using this again and again. Like Hezz, my loaf was very brown when I took it out after 30 minutes, so next time I'll check it earlier. A great hit with the family though!

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  • Binder photo Gilli

    13 May 2011

    Gilli rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This bread is really easy to make and turns out brilliantly. I make the dough in the breadmaker and finish it by hand. Found the dough extremely sticky the first time I made it so reduced the water to 290ml which seems to work fine for me. Have made it using all white flour and also substituting 200g of the white for wholemeal or granary - all come out well. Keeps fairly well for homemade bread - though if my 10 year old is around it doesn't make it to the next day anyway! He doesn't want to eat sliced bread anymore!

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  • Binder photo Ade Dalziel

    27 May 2011

    Ade Dalziel rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This was my first attempt at making bread. I was delighted with the results. The loaf was really tasty and the recipie was easy to follow. I will certainly make this again and again

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  • Binder photo ricky

    05 July 2011

    ricky commented on this recipe

    I wanted to make bread that was crusty and easy ! This recipe met all my requirements...fabulous. Highly recommend

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  • Binder photo ricky

    05 July 2011

    ricky rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo LenkX

    13 July 2011

    LenkX rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    wooow, this bread is just amazing, it looks good, taste great, its so simply to make, fast and just perfect. cannot even thank u enough for the recipe

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  • Binder photo Rashmi

    24 July 2011

    Rashmi commented on this recipe

    Can some one please tell me how much yeast it would be in Tsp. we dont have same measure sachets here

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  • Binder photo a9yse

    05 August 2011

    a9yse rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    So easy to make delicious will definitely make again

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  • Binder photo koshkha

    26 August 2011

    koshkha rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This was my first time making bread and I can't believe how well it went. I was a little knocked back after the hour of dough resting when it all collapsed with a pffft but after proofing it boinged up and the finished loaf was one of the best I've ever tasted. Would love to try it with 'bits' in next time. Thanks for the recipe.

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  • Binder photo cook"O"the north

    29 August 2011

    cook"O"the north rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I like the simplicity of this recipe. Easy to make and,tastes nice. Worth giving a try you will be pleased

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  • Binder photo Vyara

    23 September 2011

    Vyara rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Odelle

    22 October 2011

    Odelle rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Easy, adaptable, tastes great! Thank you for another delicious recipe. Added chopped sundried tomatoes & grated mature cheddar to the second batch, turned out a treat! If your bread browns too quickly cover top with foil or reduce oven temp. after first beginning to brown, especially if you have a fan oven. Odelle.

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  • Binder photo Cindy2709

    27 November 2011

    Cindy2709 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Easy, quick and so tasty! Will definitely make it again and next time might add chopped rosemary to the dough.

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  • Binder photo PrincessCJ82

    18 December 2011

    PrincessCJ82 commented on this recipe

    Easy to make and tastes fantastic! No need for bread maker now!

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  • Binder photo PrincessCJ82

    18 December 2011

    PrincessCJ82 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Ooops! Forgot to give it 5 stars!

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Makes 1 loaf

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 10 mins

Cook time

Cook 35 mins

plus rising
Freezable

Ingredients

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