Olive Bread with Thyme and Lemon

A moist olive bread with thyme and a hint of lemon zest that smells wonderful as it comes out of the oven. It tastes great freshly sliced with olive oil, or as a hearty side with soups and salads.

By yumbelo · 8 servings · 150 minutes

Ingredients

• 500 g plain wheat flour (Type 550)
• 300 ml lukewarm water
• 21 g fresh yeast
• 2 TL salt
• 1 TL sugar
• 3 EL olive oil
• 150 g black olives, pitted
• 2 TL dried thyme
• 1 Stück organic lemon, zest grated

Method

1. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water with the sugar in a bowl and let it stand for about 5 minutes, until foam forms.
2. Mix the flour with the salt in a large bowl, add the yeast-water mixture and 2 tbsp olive oil, and knead everything for about 8 minutes into a smooth, elastic dough.
3. Roughly chop the olives, then knead them together with the thyme and lemon zest into the dough until everything is evenly distributed.
4. Cover the dough with a cloth and let it rise in a warm place for about 60 minutes, until it has noticeably doubled in size.
5. Briefly knead the dough again, shape it into a round loaf and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with the remaining olive oil and let it rise, covered, for another 30 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 220 °C (conventional heat, top and bottom) and place an ovenproof dish of water on the bottom.
7. Score the loaf crosswise with a sharp knife and bake for about 35 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when you tap the bottom.
8. Let the bread cool completely on a wire rack before slicing it.