Few things feel more comforting than the smell of freshly baked bread filling your kitchen — especially when it’s your own creation.

This olive sourdough bread is simple, rustic, and deeply flavorful, made with just a handful of ingredients: flour, water, salt, and naturally fermented starter.

Every slice carries the essence of Mediterranean simplicity — a crisp golden crust, a soft airy crumb, and the briny burst of olives that makes each bite unforgettable.

Serve it warm with extra-virgin olive oil, pair it with cheese and wine, or enjoy it plain — because real bread doesn’t need much to impress.

Crockery & ingredients love using—find them all here: My Mediterranean Greek Pantry

375 g (about 1 ½ cups) room temperature water

12 g (2 ½ tsp) salt

100 g (½ cup) active sourdough starter

500 g (4 cups + 2 tbsp) bread flour

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

1 cup pitted olives, any variety (a mix of Kalamata and green olives works beautifully)

Directions

In a large bowl, mix the water with salt and sourdough starter. Add the flour and stir until a sticky dough forms. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.

With wet hands, grab a corner of the dough, pull it up, and fold it over itself. Repeat 8–10 times until the dough feels smooth and elastic. Cover and let rest for one hour.

Lightly oil your work surface. Turn the dough out and stretch it gently into a thin rectangle, about 38×50 cm.

Spread most of the sliced olives evenly across the dough. Fold the dough from right to left, then top to bottom, like an envelope. Add the remaining olives, fold again, and return the dough to the bowl. Cover and rest for one hour.

Gently lift the dough from the center, allowing the edges to fold under. Fold once or twice more to form a rough ball. Cover and let rest.

Transfer to a clean, straight-sided container. Cover and let rise at room temperature until it increases in volume by about 50–75%, with visible bubbles. This may take 5–10 hours depending on temperature.

Turn the dough out onto a clean surface.

Shape it into a round by folding the edges toward the center until it tightens and holds form.

Let it rest seam-side up for 30–60 minutes.

Place the shaped dough into a floured banneton or lined bowl, seam side up. Pinch the seam closed and cover. Refrigerate for 24–48 hours.

Place a Dutch oven inside and preheat to 200°C, for 45 minutes. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit your loaf.

Turn the cold dough onto parchment paper, score the top, and carefully place it into the hot Dutch oven. Bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncover, reduce heat to 200°C, and bake another 10–15 minutes until golden brown.

Let the loaf cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Store at room temperature for up to 3 days in an airtight container, or freeze for longer storage.

How to Make a Sourdough Starter

Making your own sourdough starter is easier than it sounds — just flour, water, and time.In about a week, you’ll have a natural yeast that brings your bread to life with flavor and character.

You’ll Need:

Whole wheat or bread flour

Filtered water (room temperature)

A clean glass jar

Steps:

Day 1:

Mix 100 g flour and 100 g water in a jar. Stir well, cover loosely, and leave at room temperature.

Day 2–3:

Discard half, then feed with 100 g flour and 100 g water once a day. You’ll start to see bubbles forming.

Day 4–6:

Keep feeding daily. The mixture should rise, smell pleasantly tangy, and look airy.

Day 7:

If it doubles in size within a few hours of feeding — it’s ready!

Store your starter in the fridge and feed it weekly to keep it strong and active.