Sourdough Olive and Rosemary Loaf

Name: Sourdough Olive and Rosemary Loaf
Prep time: 37 min
Cook time: 43 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 3¾ cups (450 g) bread flour; 0.4 cup (50 g) whole wheat flour; 1½ cups (360 ml) water, lukewarm, about 85°F (29°C); ½ cup (100 g) active sourdough starter (100% hydration), bubbly and recently fed, at its peak; 1¾ tsp (10 g) fine sea salt; 1 cup (150 g) pitted Kalamata olives, drained, patted very dry, and halved or roughly chopped; 2 tbsp (6 g) fresh rosemary leaves, stems removed, finely chopped; 1 tbsp (10 g) rice flour, for dusting the banneton and dough

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A crackly-crusted, open-crumbed sourdough studded with briny Kalamata olives and fragrant fresh rosemary. Folded in gently and baked in a Dutch oven, it is perfect with soup, cheese, or simply olive oil.

Prep: 37 min
Cook: 43 min
Wait: 18 hr 40 min
Total: 20 hr
Makes: 1 round loaf (10 slices)

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Steps

Before you start

Feed your starter 4–8 hours before mixing so it is bubbly, domed and has at least doubled. A sluggish starter is the most common cause of a dense loaf.
This is a two-day schedule: mix and fold in the morning (about 5 hours), shape in the afternoon, refrigerate overnight (12 hours), and bake the next day. Plan the bake time accordingly.
Dough temperature matters: aim for a kitchen around 75–78°F (24–26°C). In a cooler kitchen, bulk fermentation will take longer.
Pat the olives very dry on paper towels. Wet olives make the dough slack and hard to shape.

1
Mix and autolyse
- In a large bowl, whisk the water and starter until the starter mostly dissolves and the water looks milky.
- Add the bread flour and whole wheat flour.
- Mix with a wet hand or a spatula until no dry flour remains and the dough is a shaggy mass.
- Cover the bowl and rest.
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Ready when: No dry flour pockets remain; dough looks rough and shaggy
Tip: Keep the salt out for now; it can slow the starter and gluten development during this rest.
2
Add salt, first fold
- Sprinkle the salt over the dough and add a splash of water (about 1 tbsp) if you like.
- Wet your hand and pinch and squeeze the dough for about 1 minute to work in the salt.
- Then perform a set of stretch and folds: grab one edge, stretch it up gently, and fold it over the center; turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat 8–10 times.
- Cover.
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Ready when: Salt is no longer gritty and the dough feels smoother and tighter
Tip: Wet your hands each time to keep the dough from sticking.
3
Fold in olives and rosemary
- Scatter about half the olives and half the rosemary over the dough.
- Perform a set of stretch and folds, tucking the add-ins inside as you fold.
- Add the remaining olives and rosemary and fold again until well distributed, about 10 folds total.
- Cover.
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Ready when: Olives and rosemary are evenly spread, with no clumps
Tip: Be gentle once the olives are in; aggressive handling tears the gluten and smears the dough with olive color.
4
Third fold
- With wet hands, do one more set of stretch and folds, 6–8 pulls around the bowl.
- The dough should feel smoother, bouncier and hold its shape more.
- Cover again.
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Ready when: Dough resists stretching and springs back slightly
5
Finish bulk fermentation
- Leave the covered dough undisturbed at 75–78°F (24–26°C).
- Total bulk fermentation, counted from adding the salt, is about 4 hours.
- The dough is ready when it has grown 50–75%, looks puffy and domed at the edges, and shows bubbles on the surface and sides.
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Ready when: Dough has grown 50–75%, jiggles when the bowl is shaken, and has bubbles around the edges
Tip: Judge by the dough, not the clock. In a cool kitchen it may need 1–2 more hours.
6
Pre-shape and rest
- Lightly flour your counter and scrape the dough out.
- Using a bench scraper, fold the edges toward the center to form a loose round, then flip it seam-side down and drag it toward you to build surface tension.
- Let it rest uncovered for 25 minutes.
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Ready when: Dough is a slightly flattened, relaxed round
Tip: Push any olives that poke out of the surface back inside; they burn in the oven.
7
Final shape
- Dust a banneton generously with the rice flour.
- Flip the dough over so the smooth side is down.
- Fold the bottom third up, the sides in, and the top down to make a tight parcel.
- Roll it seam-side down and drag to tighten, then flip it seam-side up into the banneton.
- Pinch the seam closed if it opens.
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Ready when: Surface is taut and the dough holds a rounded shape
Tip: Don't skimp on rice flour; it prevents sticking far better than wheat flour.
8
Cold proof overnight
- Cover the banneton with a shower cap or plastic bag and refrigerate for 12–14 hours.
- The dough will look puffy and, when you press a floured finger into it, the dent should spring back slowly.
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Ready when: A floured fingertip dent springs back slowly and only partway
Tip: Bake straight from the fridge; cold dough is easier to score.
9
Preheat Dutch ovenOven 475°F / 245°C
- About 45 minutes before baking, place the empty Dutch oven with its lid in the oven and preheat to 475°F (245°C).
- Cut a piece of parchment paper large enough to lift the loaf with a 2-inch overhang on each side.
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Ready when: Oven reaches 475°F (245°C) and the pot has heated for a full 45 minutes
Tip: Use oven mitts; the pot will be dangerously hot.
10
Score and bake coveredOven 475°F / 245°C
- Turn the dough out onto the parchment (seam-side down now) and dust lightly with rice flour if needed.
- Score the top with one confident ½-inch (1 cm) deep slash or a cross.
- Use the parchment to lower the loaf into the hot Dutch oven, cover, and bake at 475°F (245°C) for 20 minutes.
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Ready when: Loaf has risen noticeably and the surface is pale but set
Tip: Score firmly and quickly; a hesitant cut drags and tears the wet dough.
11
Uncover and finishOven 450°F / 230°C
- Carefully remove the lid.
- Reduce the oven to 450°F (230°C) and bake another 23 minutes, until the crust is deep golden-brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- The internal temperature should read 205–210°F (96–99°C).
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Ready when: Deep golden-brown crust, hollow sound when tapped, internal temperature of 205–210°F (96–99°C)
Tip: If the olives or rosemary on top darken too fast, tent loosely with foil.
12
Cool completely
- Lift the loaf out using the parchment and set it on a wire rack.
- Cool for at least 1 hour before slicing; the crumb is still setting and will seem gummy if cut early.
- You may hear the crust crackle as it cools.
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Ready when: Loaf feels barely warm to the touch on the bottom
Tip: Resist slicing early; the interior is still cooking from residual steam.

Good to know

Tips

Pat the olives dry and chop them into large pieces so they distribute well without tearing the gluten.
If you don't have a Dutch oven, bake on a preheated baking stone with a pan of boiling water on the lower rack for steam.
For a more sour loaf, extend the cold proof to 16–18 hours.
Use a scale. Sourdough is sensitive to hydration, and cups vary a lot.

Make ahead

"The shaped dough can stay in the fridge for up to 18 hours for a tangier loaf. The baked loaf can be made a day ahead and refreshed in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 8–10 minutes."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: store cut-side down on a board or in a paper bag or bread box for up to 3 days. Fridge: not recommended as it stales the crumb faster. Freezer: slice, wrap tightly, and freeze up to 3 months; toast slices from frozen, or reheat a whole loaf at 350°F (175°C) for 15–20 minutes."

Substitutions

pitted Kalamata olives → Green olives such as Castelvetrano. Milder and buttery; pat very dry as with Kalamatas.
fresh rosemary leaves → 1 tbsp (3 g) dried rosemary or fresh thyme leaves. Use half the amount if dried, crushing it between your fingers first.
whole wheat flour → More bread flour (50 g). The loaf will be slightly lighter in color and flavor.
rice flour → Equal parts all-purpose flour and cornstarch. Helps prevent sticking, though rice flour works best.