In teaching my cooking classes, one question that I almost always get is, “what is my favorite thing to bake?” The answer is simple: bread! This no-knead, easy Greek bread is one of my absolutely favorite breads to make.
I was brought up in a country where good, hearty bread is a part of every meal. People in Greece, and in other Mediterranean countries for that matter, are in the habit of buying a fresh loaf of bread as a part of their daily routines. Whatever is not eaten on one day is skillfully re-purposed into something else for the next day. People really enjoy bread everyday, in moderation and without guilt.
How to make it
If you are hesitant to try your hand at bread baking, this recipe is for you. My recipe for easy Greek olive bread does not require kneading, shaping or special handling. The ingredients are all mixed together in a bowl, the mixture is left to rise on the counter, and then the bread is baked straight in a skillet–without even waiting for it to rise a second time. This loaf comes out of the oven golden brown and has a beautiful soft crumb, thanks to the milk that is used instead of water. The briny olives that are mixed in the dough, along with plenty of olive oil, give every bite of this easy skillet bread a delicious sharp flavor.
How to make individual rolls
You can also make individual bread rolls with this recipe by using a sturdy muffin tin and dividing the dough into 12 equal portions, then placing each portion in the well-oiled cups.
Even if you have never made bread before, I hope you give this Greek olive bread a try – I promise that you are going to love it! If you want to experiment with a similar and equally delicious bread, why not try also my Greek feta cheese bread Same incredible flavor, just a different topping!
- 1½ cups milk, lukewarm
- 1 envelope active dry yeast
- 1½ tsp. sea salt
- 3 cups All-purpose, unbleached flour
- ¼-½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
- 1 TBSP. dried Greek oregano
- Pour the milk into a glass measure and stir in the yeast until it dissolves. Set aside for 10 minutes.
- In a larger bowl, mix the flour and the salt and then add the milk and the yeast, stirring gently with a wooden spoon to incorporate. At this point, the dough will still be sticky – do not add more flour. Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer equipped with a dough hook.
- Cover the bowl with a towel, place it in a warm spot and let it rise for an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375° F. Place a 12” cast iron skillet in the oven until it is very hot.
- Add the extra virgin olive oil, the chopped olives and the oregano to the bread dough and mix well with a spatula, folding over the dough and scrapping the sides of the bowl, until well incorporated.
- Carefully remove from the oven the hot pan, line it with a piece of parchment paper and immediately add the dough, spreading and smoothing the top with a spatula.
- Transfer the hot pan to the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until it is golden brown on the top and the bottom.
- Remove from the oven and let the bread cool a bit in the pan. Lift the bread from the parchment paper and lace on a wire rack to cool.
-- If you make the individual bread rolls, reduce the baking time accordingly.
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I would love to know what you think – please leave me a comment below!
This bread is wonderful!
Thank you so much – I am so glad you like it Kathy!
Just made this bread tonight and could not stop eating it. Made exactly per the recipe and it came out absolutely delicious! Thanks for the great recipe!
That’s great, Katie! So glad to know that you like it so much! It is my family’s favorite!
John made this bread today to enjoy with your Roast Chicken. We LOVED it. Recipe worked perfectly and the bite of the Kalamata olives was perfect!
That’s wonderful, Susan, I am so glad you liked my olive bread! John is such a good cook, I am sure it was easy for him to make! What a coincidence, this recipe was up on my Instagram the same day you tried it!
Do you use quick or active yeast?
Hi Michelle, I used active dry yeast for this recipe. However, if you only have quick (instant) yeast, you can use that as well!
Quick, delicious and versatile! I’ve shared this recipe with many.
Today I swapped out olives for sunDried tomatoes and asiago cheese.
Another bonus…oh the smells!!!
That’s wonderful, this is my favorite Greek bread:)
Thank you for sharing!
Hi Marlena
I have made this recipe of yours previously and it was amazing! However willthis bread be ok the next day. I need to make quite a lot for a funeral wake and I want to start the day before.
Many thanks in advance.
Tina
Hi Tina,
I am so happy to know that you like my olive bread recipe!
You can certainly make it the day before, allow it to cool completely and then wrap it in foil. Keep it on your counter overnight. If time permits, place the bread in a hot oven (still in foil) for 10 minutes to warm up.
Bread is of course best on the day you bake it, but making it the day before should work too!
Tried this recipe for my Dad who was reminiscing about Mediterranean vacations. Turned out excellent! We used half kalamata and half garlic-stuffed green olives — so good! Definitely a winner.
I am so glad you liked my bread recipe so much, Bruce! It is one of my very favorite breads too!
I only have a 10 inch cast iron skillet. Can I use that?
Also do you need to heat the cupcake tin? Same temp?
Yes, you can still make it in a smaller skillet, it will just be a bit taller and might need a few additional minutes in the oven! If you choose to use a cupcake tin, make sure you either use paper liners or, oil it well. You do not need to preheat it!