This Mediterranean-inspired Artisan No-Knead Whole Wheat Green Olive Bread Recipe is the perfect crusty bread recipe. You can use it for your next meal, dipping it in olive oil, making sandwiches, or just eating on its own. You cannot go wrong no matter how you choose to serve it.
The beauty of no-knead breads is they are simple to make, even for beginner bakers and they do not require a mixer either! If you are new to making the bread, these step-by-step instructions will have everything you need to know.
If you love no-knead bread as much as I do, let me share a few other recipes for them on my blog. The first recipe is a 100% whole wheat no-knead bread recipe. I make this one often for my family and we love it!! If you have never used sprouted grain flour, but have wanted to try it, let me suggest this no-knead sprouted grain bread. My ancient grain bread recipe is another no-fail bread recipe you need to add to your list.
Tips for making perfect whole wheat no-knead bread
- Use the Right Flour: Opt for high-quality whole wheat flour with a fine texture. Coarser flour can result in a denser loaf.
- Hydration: Whole wheat flour tends to absorb more water than white flour. Adjust the water content accordingly to ensure the dough is adequately hydrated but not too wet.
- Handle Gently: Since this is a no-knead recipe, avoid over-handling the dough. Gently fold the dough instead of kneading to develop gluten.
- Baking Temperature and Time: Preheat your oven and baking vessel (like a Dutch oven) thoroughly. Bake the bread at a high temperature initially to create steam for the oven spring, then lower the temperature to ensure even baking without burning the crust.
- Cooling: Allow the bread to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. Cutting into the bread too soon can result in a gummy texture.
Ingredients
- Whole wheat flour- I used white whole wheat flour, but you could also use red winter wheat, rye, or spelt flour.
- Bread flour- Using a higher-protein flour creates the perfect texture in this bread. You can also use all-purpose flour if you want.
- Warm water- You don't want it too warm, the water temperature needs to be about 80 degrees.
- Active dry yeast- It won't take much as this is an overnight rise.
- Kosher salt- DO NOT leave this out of the recipe, I will explain more about this below.
- Olives- I used a blend of green olives (manzanilla olives are my favorite) and kalamata olives. You can use whatever olives you like. The stronger flavors work best in this bread as opposed to black olives. Also, I love lots of olives in my bread, you can also reduce this amount if you want.
- Herbs- optional. I added oregano to mine, but you could also use basil, thyme, or fresh rosemary. Fresh herbs are best, but you can also use dried herbs, as I did.
How to make
Mix the ingredients in a large bowl with either a wooden spoon or another spoon or spatula for about 1 minute.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature for 18 hours. You can go less if you want, but I would not go under 14 hours or longer than 20.
Before you bake, preheat the dutch oven to 500 degrees for 30 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface carefully remove the dough from your bowl onto the surface. Gently form the dough into a ball and place it on parchment paper.
Pro Tip: I do this with a bench scraper as the dough is so sticky and I don't want to overwork it.
I like to slit the top of the dough with a razor blade or a very sharp knife. This allows you to know where the steam escapes.
Remove the dutch oven from your oven, be careful, it is HOT!
Add the parchment paper with the ball on top into the dutch oven. Place the lid on it and move it to the oven.
Bake for 25 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 425 degrees and remove the lid. Bake for another 25 minutes. It will be a deep golden brown.
Remove it from the oven and carefully take the bread from the pan. Allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes on a wire rack. This will let the starches set.
That is it, the homemade olive bread is done!
How to store the baked bread
While I prefer this bread the first 24 hours after it is baked, it will hold for up to 2-3 days at room temperature. Let me show you how to store for best results.
- Cool Completely: Allow the homemade bread to cool completely before storing it.
- Wrap Well: Once the loaf of bread has cooled, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Make sure there are no gaps where air can enter. A better option is to use a cotton bread bag or even a parchment bread bag.
- Avoid Refrigeration: Avoid storing whole wheat bread in the refrigerator, as the cold temperature can cause it to dry out faster. However, if you live in a hot and humid climate and need to store the bread for an extended period, you can refrigerate it to prevent mold growth, but be aware that it may become stale more quickly.
- Freeze for Long-Term Storage: If you don't plan to consume the bread within a few days, consider freezing it. Wrap the cooled bread tightly in plastic wrap and then place it in a resealable freezer bag or an airtight container. Frozen bread can last for several months. To thaw, let it sit at room temperature for a few hours or overnight.
Other no-knead recipes
Artisan No-Knead Whole Wheat Green Olive Bread Recipe
Equipment
- 1 dutch oven
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups white whole wheat flour
- 1 ¾ cups bread flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¾ teaspoon active dry yeast
- ¾ cup chopped green olives I used a blend of green olive and kalamata
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 2 ½ cups tepid water
Instructions
- Mix the ingredients in a large bowl with either a wooden spoon or another spoon or spatula for about 1 minute.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature for 18 hours. You can go less if you want, but I would not go under 14 hours or longer than 20.
- Before you bake, preheat the dutch oven to 500 degrees for 30 minutes.
- On a lightly floured surface carefully remove the dough from your bowl onto the surface. Gently form the dough into a ball and place it on parchment paper.
- Pro Tip: I do this with a bench scraper as the dough is so sticky and I don't want to overwork it.
- I like to slit the top of the dough with a razor blade or a very sharp knife. This allows you to know where the steam escapes.
- Remove the dutch oven from your oven, be careful, it is HOT!
- Add the parchment paper with the ball on top into the dutch oven. Place the lid on it and move it to the oven.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 425 degrees and remove the lid. Bake for another 25 minutes. It will be a deep golden brown.
- Remove it from the oven and carefully take the bread from the pan. Allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes on a wire rack. This will let the starches set.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!