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 41-55

  • Binder photo Paddy

    17 May 2012

    Paddy commented on this recipe

    Easy to make,will not be buying bread in the future.

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  • Binder photo Bert

    20 May 2012

    Bert commented on this recipe

    The recipe is easy to follow. The bread comes out great. I added poppy seed and mature cheddar. Just perfect. I love it.

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  • Binder photo maria

    25 June 2012

    maria commented on this recipe

    Love the recipe and have made it several times. I forgot to put oil in once and it came out much fluffier. Have made it that way ever since.

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  • Binder photo Frankieytl

    05 August 2012

    Frankieytl rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This is the first time I've made bread and this was so easy to do. It tastes amazing and I'm really pleased. It does brown very quickly, I cooked for 20 mins at 220 then reduced the temp to 170 with foil over the top for another 10 mins..... Seemed to do the trick! Will definitely being made to make this again I think, very popular in my house!!!! Thank you

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  • Binder photo Cailin

    13 January 2013

    Cailin rated and commented on this recipe

    3 stars

    My first time ever making bread and I was really pleasantly surprised at how easy it was and at how well it turned out. I'll try adding some of the suggested additional ingredients next time to give it a bit more flavour.

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  • Binder photo timmyt

    21 January 2013

    timmyt rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Really easy to make and perfect every time.I make this often and it always goes down well

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  • Binder photo Britt

    03 February 2013

    Britt rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    delicious and so easy! This was my first time making bread EVER and it was a definite success! I'll be making this again for sure, but would love to try with whole wheat or spelt flour or maybe add some seeds or something...

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  • Binder photo JMLF

    09 February 2013

    JMLF commented on this recipe

    Can you use wholemeal flour for this recipe does anyone know?!

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  • Binder photo Julian Oxborough

    01 March 2013

    Julian Oxborough rated and commented on this recipe

    3 stars

    Made this bread today and turning out to be hard work.I been following the method and as it said i left it for a hour and it has not risen in size,so i have now given it another knead and returned the dough to the bowl,so hopefully it will rise on the second attempted.

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  • Binder photo DenBoot

    18 March 2013

    DenBoot commented on this recipe

    if it's any help malt extract can be bought from amazon,just had 3.5 kg delivered free in under 48hrs , just over£12.oo,smaller amount are available.

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  • Binder photo Jools

    27 March 2013

    Jools rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Tried this bread recipe for the first time today, previously I've used a breadmaker but did it all by hand this time - and can see and taste why it's receiving great reviews. I used the ingredients as listed, but knowing my fan oven pretty well I changed the cooking temp & time to: 200C for 20 mins, then tapped and listened, then popped it back in, closed the door and turned the oven off and left it for 10 more mins.....which turned out to be ideal. Like others, in addition I put ice-cubes on a tray in bottom of oven to assist with any possible crust issues and I have to say I too now love this recipe. Great taste, super texture, such an easy and seemingly disaster proof recipe.....might try with extra-virgin another time to see how much the flavour changes.....

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  • Binder photo Bethanwy

    13 April 2013

    Bethanwy rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Such an easy recipe and gorgeous bread at the end. I added a few sun dried tomatoes and a tablespoon of fennel seeds and it was lush.

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  • Binder photo mymatesam

    20 April 2013

    mymatesam rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Really easy to make and doesn't take too long. My only issues were half the amount of salt is needed and the dough should be split in two for two loaves or you get a large dense loaf. I feel with these little tweaks it would be worthy of 5 stars.

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  • Binder photo heather-anderson

    09 May 2013

    heather-anderson commented on this recipe

    I make my own bread quite a lot, I tend to use my breadmaker to do the hard work but then turn it out and shape and bake the loaf myself. I have used many recipe s but the standby of flour,salt, yeast & sunflower oil has always been reliable. Tried this olive bread for a change and can't believe how much the loaf rose or how beautifully soft & dense the texture was

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  • Binder photo Fi

    15 May 2013

    Fi rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Excellent recipe, made this bread today and it surpassed my expectations. Easy to make and tastes fantastic. Will be making this a lot in future.

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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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