Spelt loaf with olives perfumed with rosemary
Freshly baked bread! I almost forgot how good it tasted!
My grandmother used to make bread in 15 minutes flat. I used to watch her with amusement: she was so incredibly quick, her hands were "flying away" and her loaf was ready to bake in no time... a tough country lady she was.
Last weekend I run out of bread so I thought: why not making some? I always keep spelt flour in my pantry as I make pizza with it. Spelt is an ancient grain, an ancestor of modern wheat and it has a delicious nutty taste.
You can add anything you like to it: I have added olives and rosemary for a richer and more perfumed taste but if you like seeds, like sunflower or pumpkin seeds, they would go very well too.
I have only proved this bread once with goods results and without spending too much time. Just leave it in a warm place covered by a cloth and it will rise nicely. Combining work with family and blogging makes time even more precious but I find that I can come up with easy and quick recipes (because I need them!) for mid-week evening meals; I will be sharing them very soon. Everyone needs them, who has the time to spend hours in the kitchen?
I am enjoying my new working life so far, everything seems far more balanced now. I really needed to go back to the workplace and I am so pleased that I can still keep my blog going.
Enjoy your weekend!
- Prep Time : 25 minutes
- Cook Time : 30 minutes
- Yield : 4
Ingredients
- spelt flour - 500 g - 4 cups (+ extra if needed)
- instant active dry yeast - 2 tsp
- lukewarm water - 300 ml - 10 fl oz
- sugar - 1 tsp
- sea salt - 1 tsp
- olive oil - 2 tbsp + extra for brushing
- Black and green olives - handful + a few extra for decoration
- cherry tomatoes - 4
- rosemary - 2 sticks
Instructions
In a bowl mix the flour with the yeast, the sugar and the olive oil. Add a little bit of water at a time, add the salt and mix well with a spoon.
Sprinkle some flour on your worktop and using your hands (or simply use a processor if you prefer) work the dough energetically for about 10 minutes; if the dough feels sticky you might need to add extra flour.
Finely chop the rosemary needles; Roughly chop the olives and add them both to the dough. Combine them well with the dough and when it is nice and smooth roll it into a long sausage which you will roll inwards forming a round shape. Again you might need to add extra flour if it feels too sticky or a little more water if it feels dry.
Place the dough onto a greased baking tray and cover it with a cloth. Leave it to rest for a couple of hours in a warm place. It should double in size.
Brush your loaf with olive oil and place the remaining halved olives and the sliced cherry tomatoes on top. Bake it at 200C or 390Fย for 30 minutes or until golden on top.
Let it cool down before slicing it.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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This is so Italian and so good! Olives, tomatoes and rosemary are so perfect for this yeast bread.
Have a wonderful weekend, Alida!
Thanks Angie. I love olives I would eat them every day!
Che bella e buona recetta Alida, bellisima i love olives and tomatoes.
have a nice weekend !
Molto gentile. Un abbraccio!
This is a beautiful loaf. Iโve used spelt flour before, but just as an add-in flour. I canโt wait to try it by itself! I already know I love olives in bread. Itโs so fun to serve with a cheese platter!
You are right, this will be very good with a cheese platter. Olives and cheese are a match made in heaven.
Totally understand : I eat olives as a main dish… a slice of ciabatta aside ๐ This bread combines it all ๐ ๐ Thank you dear and I am so glad you manage to post your beautiful dishes again…
Olives and ciabatta.. nice! That could easily be my lunch! ๐
Alida, I’m glad you able to keep blogging as well.
Spelt is such a nice flour to work with and it makes one tasty loaf of bread (and pizza dough). You’ve made such a beautiful rustic yummy looking loaf! I love your recipe as it differs from my Swedish recipe in good ways. Your spelt bread is going on my Friday bread baking list.
Fab! I am very pleased you will be trying the bread. Rustic food is my absolute favourite. .always!
queste sfiziose girelle vanno assolutamente provate, grazie per questa splendida ricetta! Un abbraccio
Molto gentile Chiara. Un abbraccio!
This sounds absolutely delicious! Spelt flour, Olives, rosemary it’s never going to be bad, is it?
Thanks Balvinder. Simple Mediterranean food.
Strepitosa questa pagnotta, molto invitante, brava!!!!
Il pane fatto in casa e’ tutta un’altra cosa!
Olives and rosemary are a wonderful combination. Your bread looks wonderful and I like the way you added extra olives and tomatoes to the top.