Easy No-Knead Olive & Herb Bread

Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and full of mediterranean flavour.

I don’t think I have met a single person in my life who disliked bread. It’s just one of those universal things we all agree on. The sky is blue, the grass is green and bread is DELICIOUS. Over the past few years I’ve become quite the homemade bread fan (it’s relaxing!) and have shared my adventures in sourdough on Instagram. It’s the food topic I get most questions about and a lot of people are daunted by the process of making a starter, not to mention how time-intensive sourdough can be.

I get it, because I also felt the same way. Getting started with sourdough is well worth it and I find the whole process almost meditative. Seeing your daunted questions however, I was inspired to share the kind of easy recipe I started my bread journey with - a no-knead loaf. These kind of loaves honestly could not be more foolproof if they tried. I have been able to make crispy, rustic loaves with no kneading required in as little as 2 hours all in. If you’re looking for an easy start to bread making, I’ve got you!

All you need to make great bread easily at home is a dutch oven. You can pick these up inexpensively and I use mine almost every single day. They work well for bread because they trap steam inside, creating a beautiful crusty loaf.

There are two variations on this recipe. The first one is an overnight loaf (preferable if you have the time) and the second is a two hour loaf if you’re in a pinch. It still tastes (and looks) great, but the overnight loaf will have a more developed flavour. Although I use olives here, don’t let that put you off if you aren’t a fan. You can omit them entirely or swap for sun-dried tomatoes or even roasted garlic bulbs.

Easy No-Knead Olive & Herb Bread

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Yield: 1 loaf

Author: Gemma Tomlinson

prep time: 1 H & 20 Mcook time: 40 Mtotal time: 1 H & 60 M

Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and full of mediterranean flavour. This no-knead loaf delivers results even for novice bakers!

ingredients:

For the overnight version of this recipe

• 3 cups strong white bread flour plus extra for shaping
• 1/2 tsp instant yeast
• 2 cups chopped olives (I used nocellara)
• 1.5 cup cool or room temp water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp mixed mediterranean herbs

For the 2 hour version of this recipe

• 3 cups strong white bread flour plus extra for shaping
• 1tbsp instant yeast
• 2 cups chopped olives (I used nocellara)
• 1.5 cup warm (but not hot) water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp mixed mediterranean herbs

instructions:

How to cook Easy No-Knead Olive & Herb Bread

For the overnight version of this recipe

1. Place the flour, salt, herbs and yeast in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
2. Take your olives and stir into the dry mixture until evenly dispersed.
3. Add the water and mix to create a rough looking dough. Make sure all the flour has been combined well but don't worry if the dough looks "shaggy" in appearance or dry.
4. Place a lid or wrap over the top of the bowl and leave somewhere warm overnight or for 12-18 hours.
5. The day of cooking, preheat your oven to 230°C or 450°F. 
6. Add your dutch oven right at the beginning so it heats up with your oven, we want it to be really hot before adding the bread. 
7. The dough should have increased in size dramatically overnight and you will see the gluten development.
8. Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and shape into a rounded loaf, making sure the bottom is well floured and will not stick when baking.
9. Leave to rest for 15 mins on the countertop covered with a floured towel.
10. Remove your dutch oven and drop your formed loaf inside it. If you don't feel confident with this, you can place your dough on parchment paper and add the parchment paper as a lining for the dutch oven. 
11. Add the lid and cook for 30 minutes.
12. Remove the lid and cook for a further 10 minutes.
13. Wait until the loaf has cooled completely and slice.

For the 2 hour version of this recipe

1. Place the flour, salt, herbs and yeast in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
2. Take your olives and stir into the dry mixture until evenly dispersed.
3. Add the water and mix to create a rough looking dough. Make sure all the flour has been combined well but don't worry if the dough looks "shaggy" in appearance or dry.
4. Place a lid or wrap over the top of the bowl and leave somewhere warm for an hour.
5. Towards the end of the hour, reheat your oven to 230°C or 450°F.
6. Add your dutch oven right at the beginning so it heats up with your oven, we want it to be really hot before adding the bread.
7. The dough should have increased in size dramatically and you will see the gluten development.
8. Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and shape into a rounded loaf, making sure the bottom is well floured and will not stick when baking.
9. Leave to rest for 15 mins on the countertop covered with a floured towel.
10. Remove your dutch oven and drop your formed loaf inside it. If you don't feel confident with this, you can place your dough on parchment paper and add the parchment paper as a lining for the dutch oven.
11. Add the lid and cook for 30 minutes.
12. Remove the lid and cook for a further 10 minutes.
13. Wait until the loaf has cooled completely and slice.

Did you make this recipe?

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