Recipes
Sourdough Olive Loaf Recipe
A savory country loaf with olives folded in after bulk begins — salty, aromatic, and weeknight-sandwich friendly.
Make an olive sourdough by mixing a 70–75% hydration dough, adding chopped olives during early folds, then shaping and baking like a country loaf with steam.
Ingredients (1 loaf)
- 400g bread flour
- 100g whole wheat flour
- 360g water (72%)
- 100g ripe starter (100% hydration)
- 10g salt
- 120–150g pitted olives, roughly chopped and patted dry
Method
- Mix flours, water, and starter; autolyse 30 minutes.
- Add salt; mix until cohesive.
- Bulk 3–4.5 hours at ~75°F with 3 fold sets; add olives on the second fold.
- Pre-shape, rest 20 minutes, shape batard or boule.
- Cold proof 12–18 hours or room-temp proof until poke test ready.
- Bake 450°F covered 20 minutes, uncovered 20–25 to 205–210°F internal.
Tips
Pat olives dry so they don't blow out hydration. Dust the basket well — olive oil can increase sticking. Olives near the surface may char slightly; that's normal.
Baker's notes
Weights assume a digital scale. If your kitchen is warmer than ~75°F, expect faster fermentation and consider reducing starter percentage or using cooler water. If colder, extend bulk and rely on dough cues over the clock. Pat mix-ins dry; wet inclusions effectively raise hydration and can wreck strength.
Make-ahead and storage
Shaped dough can usually cold-proof overnight. Baked loaves keep best cut-side down on a board for a day, then bagged. For longer storage, freeze slices or whole loaves and reheat with a light sprinkle of water in a moderate oven.
One thing to remember
If you only remember one number, remember dough temperature — it explains more "mystery" outcomes than flour brand lore.
Baking finish
Uncover to color, but verify doneness with internal temperature. Dark crust can still hide a wet center in large or fruited loaves.
Scaling
Double ingredients by weight, not fermentation time. Larger dough masses hold heat and may finish bulk earlier.
Field notes
The fastest way to improve at this is to pair the technique with the same base dough for several weekends. Whole-grain flour, warmer kitchens, and higher starter percentages all compress timelines — expect that interaction. Document one success in enough detail that you could hand the notes to a friend and they could reproduce it. Season the process to your kitchen, then play with inclusions once the base loaf is trustworthy.
Also useful: weigh everything, preheat longer than you think, and cool fully before you judge crumb quality. Those three habits make every other tip more reliable.
Frequently asked questions
Green or black olives?
Both work; castelvetrano are mild, kalamata are bolder.
Rinse salty olives?
If very briny, rinse and dry to protect yeast and salt balance.
Other mix-ins?
Rosemary or lemon zest pairs well — add sparingly.
Log olive hydration feel in SourdoughAI — wet mix-ins change dough handling more than bakers expect.