This easy olive bread is one of my favorite recipes to make in my small bread machine. The loaf is soft and chewy inside with plenty of salty Kalamata olive flavor, and because it’s made in a 1-pound bread maker, you don’t end up with more bread than one or two people can reasonably eat.
I originally bought my small bread machine because I wanted to make fresh bread at home without all the preservatives in store-bought loaves. As it turns out, I use it much more than I expected. There’s something wonderfully easy about adding everything to the machine, pressing a button, and coming back a few hours later to fresh homemade bread.
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This recipe compliments a simple blueberry & blue cheese salad very well, or a rustic white bean stew for one.
This olive bread is especially good sliced thick and served alongside soup or stew, but I also love it toasted with a little butter.
One reason I make this bread in a bread machine is it’s so easy! Add the ingredients and then 3-4 hours later, Viola! Fresh bread emerges. The machine I purchased is the Zojirushi1-lb machine, and the size is absolutely perfect for 1-2 people.
Other easy bread recipes include these stretch and fold ciabatta rolls and an easy sandwich bread recipe.
The smaller loaves don’t have time to go stale in my house. However, if you find yourself with stale olive bread, it’s perfect to freeze and use for bread crumbs or homemade croutons later.
Ingredients for Bread Machine Olive Bread
- Kalamata Olives & Brine: I purchase a jar of pitted Kalamatas. Make sure to get the pitted olives, because it’s a pain to pit those puppies! The brine is important, so if you get your olives from the salad bar, make sure to include the brine. A loaf uses about a Tablespoon of the brine.
- Olive Oil: The Extra virgin Olive Oil adds to the flavor, so don’t substitute.
- Bread Flour: bread flour is needed to get that nice chewy inside and lightly crispy crust.
- Instant yeast: Instant yeast does not need any proofing and is perfect for using in your bread machine recipes.
A Few Notes Before You Make Your Olive Bread
This recipe is designed for a 1-pound bread machine. I use a Zojirushi 1-pound bread maker, but another small bread machine should work as long as you follow your manufacturer’s recommendations for ingredient order and settings.
I use the Basic Bread setting with a Regular crust.
Add the ingredients to the bread machine in the order recommended for your machine. For mine, I add the liquids first, followed by the dry ingredients, with the yeast added last.
Try to keep the yeast separate from the liquid when you first add it to the machine. I like to make a small indentation in the flour and spoon the yeast into it.
Most bread machines will beep when it’s time to add mix-ins. That’s when you want to add the chopped olives. Adding them at the beginning may cause them to break down too much during kneading.
Because olives contain extra moisture, drain them well before chopping and adding them to the dough.
Easy Variations
- Kalamata olives give this bread a bold, slightly fruity olive flavor, but you can easily change things up.
- Try using green Spanish olives or a combination of green and Kalamata olives.
- You can also add a little dried thyme or rosemary for an herby olive loaf.
- For a more savory version, a small amount of finely grated Parmesan can also be added with the olives.
Instructions
Step One: Add the ingredients in the order listed in the recipe card. The last ingredient is the yeast, make a little indent in flour and add the yeast. Use the Basic Bread and regular Crust setting and press start.
Step Two: While the bread machine is mixing the dough, chop the olive and set aside. Most bread machines have a beep for when to add in the extras. When the machine beeps, add the olives.
Step Three: The bread dough is baking and will sound an alarm when complete. carefully remoe the bread pan and let cook for a couple of minutes before turn the bread out. Enjoy!
Tools
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- Zojirushi 1-Pound-Loaf Programmable Breadmaker – The handle and the small footprint on the machine makes this so easy to store away.
- Bread Loaf Pan
Small Loaf Olive Bread
Ingredients
Recipe Directions
- Place the water, brine, olive oil, salt, sugar, bread flour and yeast in the bread machine pan in the order listed.
- Close the bread machine lid, select the Basic and Regular crust setting and select start.
- When add-in tone or beep sounds add in the olives and close lid.
- When machine signals its done, carefully remove the pan and turn out the bread to cool. For best results, let cool for about an hour before slicing.
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Nutrition
Notes
Your Private Recipe Notes
What to Serve With Olive Bread
A thick slice of olive bread is wonderful alongside a bowl of soup or stew. I especially like it with a simple white bean stew or tomato-based soup.
It also makes a nice addition to a light lunch with salad, cheese, or roasted vegetables.
And don’t overlook breakfast. Toast a slice and spread it with butter for a simple savory alternative to traditional breakfast toast.
How to Store
Let the bread cool completely before storing. Keep the loaf in an airtight container or bread bag at room temperature for about 2 to 3 days.
Since this is a small 1-pound loaf, I find that it’s usually just enough for one or two people to enjoy before it starts getting stale.
For longer storage, slice the cooled bread and freeze the individual slices. You can pull out just what you need and toast the slices directly from frozen.
Tip: Slightly stale olive bread also makes excellent homemade croutons or breadcrumbs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this recipe in a larger bread machine?
Yes, but this recipe makes a small 1-pound loaf. You can bake it in a larger-capacity bread machine as long as your machine can handle smaller loaves. The finished loaf may be shorter or shaped differently depending on the size of the bread pan.
Why didn’t my bread rise?
First, check that your yeast is fresh and that you’re using instant or bread machine yeast.
Also make sure your water is lukewarm rather than hot and that the yeast doesn’t come into direct contact with the liquid before the mixing cycle begins.
Because the olives add moisture to the dough, drain them well before adding them. The dough should form a soft, slightly tacky ball while kneading rather than looking wet or soupy.
Can I use a different type of olive?
Absolutely. Kalamata olives have a strong flavor that I especially like in this bread, but green Spanish olives or a mixture of your favorite olives will also work.
Can I use the bread machine just to make the dough?
Yes. Select the dough cycle and let the machine mix, knead, and rise the dough. Once the cycle is finished, shape the dough and bake it in the oven using an appropriately sized loaf pan.
Forth time making this bread absolutely delicious. I use some tyme, feta and Parmesan to flavour. It disappears as soon as it comes out the machine thank you
Tried this with my new zoji 1 lb bread maker. Unfortunately, it didn’t rise. Not sure why. I had been successful with several other recipes, been baking for years. I wonder if there was too much liquid?
Hi, Are you sure your yeast is still active? Did you use the instant yeast?
I am a newbie to bread machines and made this olive bread today. Sooooooo good! Thank you for the recipe.