Olive and Sun-Dried Tomato Bread

Jeff the Chef

Enjoy this homemade Olive and Sun-Dried Tomato Bread on its own, or pair it with complementary – especially other Mediterranean – flavors.

Olive and Sun-Dried Tomato Bread
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Olive and Sun-Dried Tomato Bread

Recipe by Make It Like a Man!
Makes

2

small (14-oz.) loaves
Servings

12

Ingredients

  • 15 large, sundried tomatoes

  • 14 oz. (2¾ cups) all-purpose flour, plus quite a bit more for work surface

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1 packet active dry yeast

  • 1 tsp brown sugar

  • 1 Tbs chopped fresh thyme or rosemary

  • 1¾ oz. (4 Tbs) olive oil, plus more for oiling bowls and pans

  • 1¾ oz. (1/3 cup) black olives, pitted and sliced

  • 1¾ oz. (1/3 cup) green olives, pitted and sliced

  • 1 egg yolk, beaten (optional)

Directions

  • (Skip this step if using tomatoes packed in oil.) Place the tomatoes into a microwavable container. Pour in enough water to cover the tomatoes. Microwave until the liquid comes to a boil, 2 minutes. Allow to steep and cool, 30 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid. Dice the tomatoes into large pieces.
  • Whisk the flour, salt, and yeast in a large mixing bowl, 50 strokes. Whisk in the sugar and thyme, 50 strokes. Add enough water to the reserved tomato liquid to bring it to 7 oz. Microwave it in 15-second burtsts until it is between 100 and 110F. Pour it into the bowl with the flour mixture. Pour in the oil. Stir until there is no more dry material. Scrape it onto a work surface. Place the olives and sun-dried tomatoes on top of the dough and sprinkle liberally with flour. With the aid of a bench scraper, fold the dough onto itself, repeatedly, until the olives and tomatoes are incorporated, adding liberal amounts of flour as you go, until the dough comes together. Knead for 5 minutes, continuing to add flour as necessary. The finished dough should be slighly tacky, but not sticky. Form it into a ball. Clean and dry the bowl you used to mix the dough, and brush it with oil. Add the dough, then immediately flip it. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for about 1-1/2 hours, or until it has doubled in size.
  • Dust a cookie sheet with flour. Knead the dough lightly, then cut in half and shape each half into tight balls. Place them on the cookie sheet, cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap, and let rise again in a warm place for 45 minutes, or until they have doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400F.
  • Make 3 shallow cuts on the top of each piece of dough. (Brush with the egg.) Bake for 40 minutes, or until the interior registers 190F with an instant-read thermometer. The loaves should be deeply golden on top and sound hollow when tapped on the botton. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Notes

  • Dicing the tomatoes: perhaps cut them into thirds, or halves, or to your preference.
  • The egg wash is just for looks. The loaves look good with or without it.
"Olive and Sun-Dried Tomato Bread," from Make It Like a Man!

This beautiful bread is such a stunning color, which my phone did not fully capture. It’s also full of flavors, and there’s a beautiful balance to them. There’s something about the way these particular flavors intermingle that is really quite special.

I like to serve this bread with dinner, instead of rolls. To do so, I use the slashes to break the break a loaf into three pieces, and then I gently tear each of the three pieces in half, for six servings per loaf.

If you use tomatoes packed in oil, your bread’s crumb will be a lighter, golden color, and the tomatoes will visually pop a bit more. Hydrating dried tomatoes that have not been packed in oil will give the crumb a gorgeous tomato color. It will be harder to see the tomato pieces in the reddish bread, but their flavor will be there in full force nonetheless.

Next time I make this bread, I’ll measure out the work-surface flour, so I can be more exact about this.

"Olive and Sun-Dried Tomato Bread," from Make It Like a Man!
 Olive and Sun-Dried Tomato Bread

Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man!, unless otherwise indicated. Thank you, Kesor. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything. References: “Olive and Sundried Tomato Bread,” in Perfect Mediterranean. (Bath, UK: Parragon, 2008), 196. Make It Like a Man! has been ranked by Feedspot as #14 in the Top 30 Men’s Cooking Blogs!

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64 thoughts on “Olive and Sun-Dried Tomato Bread”

  2. What a gorgeous loaf of bread. I’m thinking this would be amazing with Moroccan lamb meatballs or any lamb dish. Thank you for sharing!!

    Reply

  5. Thanks for the interesting bread recipe. I am wondering if you have a weight measurement for the sundried tomatoes in case they vary by size.
    Also, why do you use all purpose flour instead of bread flour for this recipe?

    Thanks
    Marjorie recently posted…Flax, Chia and Sesame Seed Bread

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    • I don’t, but I can tell you that I don’t think there’s a make-or-break precision about it. Next time, though, I will weigh them and update the recipe.

      I tried the bread both ways – with bread flour and all-purpose – and I liked the softer texture of the all-purpose better. But the bread flour version was certainly good.

      Reply

  9. Ah, I see we were on the same wave-length recently, Jeff! I do love bread, and Mediterranean flavors are always a favorite in our house. I’ll have to try your version – this sounds like it would be great with a bowl of soup or even chili.
    David @ Spiced recently posted…Mediterranean Pull Apart Bread

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  10. Jeff, this looks fantastic. I would take this style of bread anyway over rolls. You could eat this bread with almost anything.

    Belated Thanksgiving wishes to you!

    Velva

    Reply

  11. I’d love to make a grilled cheese sandwich with a couple of slices of this yummy bread! That would make one delicious lunch!!

    Reply

    • Thanks! It’s really good. I’ll be honest, I need to tighten the recipe up a bit in terms of clarity and better measurements, but it’s a great flavor combo.

      Reply

  17. This is the kind of bread that I love making in the colder months. It’s so warm and inviting with all of its flavors married together. I think the coloring is beautiful, but I’m sure it looks even better in person!
    Theresa recently posted…Stuffed Figs Appetizer

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  18. Mark saw this come into the email and immediately asked if I would make it. It’s funny – he is the bread baker in the house! But I said yes. It is a beautiful loaf, Jeff.

    Reply

    • Cool! Im so honored! I was kind of loose with measurements, but if you’re comfortable making bread, you’ll be fine. I’ll tighten up the measurements next time I make it.

      Reply

  19. What a gorgeous loaf of bread Jeff! The color is absolutely stunning. I love olives, sun dried tomatoes, and homemade bread. All three together in one bread loaf sounds addicting. 😋. I need to make this! Great idea to serve with dinner instead of rolls.
    Shannon recently posted…Homemade Whipped Cream

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  27. You’re absolutely right, the colour is stunning. And i love the way you’ve torn the pieces, adds to the rustic look. Will definitely give this a go over the holidays.
    Éva Taylor recently posted…Mussels Escabeche

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    • If you do, let me know how it goes. I was a bit fast and loose with some of the measurements. I’ll clean those up the next time I make this bread, but I’m sure that anyone familiar with bread baking will be able to follow things the way they currently are.

      Reply

  31. What a scrumptious sounding bread. I love this type of rustic loaf packed with those flavors. The sweetness the tomatoes bring must be so delicious with the olives! Wishing it was here now to go with the salad we’re having for dinner. 🙂 ~Valentina
    Valentina recently posted…Eggnog Bundt Cake with Poppy Seeds

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