Red Pepper & Olive Bread Recipe

This orange hued bread sits on a white lattice plate with a bottle of calamata olives and roasted red pepper is in the background.

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This deeply flavored Red Pepper Olive Bread Recipe features jarred roasted red peppers and kalamata or green olives. It is perfect for sandwiches, with soup or just as a snack.

Prep Time45

Cook Time45

Total Time1 30

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Red Pepper & Olive Bread, Yeast Bread,

Servings: servings

Calories: 208kcal

Author: Helen S. Fletcher

Ingredients

15 ounce bottled roasted red peppers
¾ cup kalamata or green olives
2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast (1 packet)
⅓ cup water
2 tablespoons whole olives or canola oil
¾ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
3 ½ cups bread flour (490 grams)
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg white
sesame seeds as needed

Instructions

Processor Method

Drain the red peppers between double thicknesses of paper towel. Press as much liquid as possible from them. Repeat with the olives keeping them whole if using the food processor or cutting them coarsely if using the mixer. Set aside.
Stir the water and yeast together. Add the oil and red pepper flakes. Stir to mix well. Set aside.
Puree the red peppers in the bowl of a food processor scraping down as necessary. Measure 1 cup of the puree. If the cup is short, add water to make up the 1 cup.
Add the yeast mixture to the processor and process to mix in.
Add the flour and salt. Process until it comes together in a ball (or mostly a ball). If it is too wet, add a bit of flour, if too dry to form a ball, add a tablespoon of water.
Remove the bread and tear it into pieces, placing it back in the processor. Place the olives on top and pulse them in briefly. To not over process or the olives won't be noticeable. Not the biggest problem - the flavor will still be there.
Spray a container with a non-stick baking release at least 2 to 3 times the size of the dough. Remove the dough and knead it a few ties to shape into a ball. Place in the container at lease 2 or more times as big as the dough. Let it rise until doubled. This is a fast riser and will take abut 1 to ½ hours to rise.
At this point, I recommend refrigerating it overnight to firm it up for shaping and to enhance the flavor.
Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Shape the dough into a round and place it on the paper. Cover it with a tea towel and let it rise until doubled in size. This may take a bit longer as the dough will be cold.
Near the end of rising, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Just before baking, make 3 deep slashed across the bread with a single edge razor or a lame, whisk the egg white until foamy, brush the bread and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the internal temperature is 190F.

To Make Rolls

To shape the rolls, measure the dough into 85 grams pieces, shape them into balls by pulling all the edges togethr. Place it on an unfloured work surface, with the smooth side up and cup your hand over the dough.
Roll it around under your hand. This is the same method professionals use to make round rolls. However, this bread dough has a mind of its own, so despite your best efforts they may come out less than round.
Just before baking, make a deep slashed across the top of the roll, whisk the egg white until foamy, brush the rolls and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake at 350°F for 18 to 20 minutes.

Mixer Method

Follow steps 1 through 4 above.
Transfer the red pepper mixture to a mixing bowl Add the flour and salt and beat on low to form a shaggy dough, then raise the speed to medium and beat for 3 to 4 minutes.
Sprinkle the coarsely cut olives on top and beat on low to medium just until incorporated.
Continue with the instructions from 7 through 12 above.

Notes

There is always an abundance of photos to guide you in the post above. If you have questions, look at the photos or read the header of the article. Many of them will be answered there.

As always, I recommend using a scale for accuracy and consistency. Flour, in particular, is difficult to measure by volume. For my recipes, I use 140 grams per cup of unsifted all-purpose, bread or whole wheat flour and 125 grams of cake flour. Others may use different weights so use whatever they suggest.

Unless otherwise noted, salt refers to table salt.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

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It is most important to press as much liquid as possible from the olives and red peppers to avoid extra liquid in the dough.

If the dough is too wet, add flour a bit at a time to make a soft tacky dough.

This is a fast riser - usually an hour to 1 to 1 1 /2 hours

Refrigerating the dough overnight makes it easier to shape the next day and also adds more flavor.

Bread flour is important to this recipe so it doesn't get weighed down with the peppers and olives.

When shaping the dough, don't add flour to the work surface. The dough should be able to be shaped without it. If any help is needed, add a bit of oil to the work surface.

Nutrition