Lolo’s Olive Bread
A few years ago our family visited my cousins Andre and Lolo at their beautiful home in Southern France. The highlight of the visit was when my cousin Lolo made her famous olive bread. It was the best olive bread I had ever eaten. This kind of olive bread is also called cake salé, or savory cakes. Think of a savory coffee cake.
For years my son Beau has been begging me to try and make it but I could never find a recipe as good as Lolo's until I discovered this one. Give this olive bread a try this week. Once you get the basic premise down you can try using different cheeses, oils, or even adding ingredients that suit your tastes.
The Best Olive Bread
PREP: 5 minutes | COOK: 1-hour | MAKES: 8 servings
ingredients
2.5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup roughly chopped pitted olives
1/4 pound ham or cooked bacon roughly chopped
1.25 cups shredded gruyere cheese
2/3 cup rose wine or substitute milk
2/3 cup olive oil
3 eggs
directions
Preheat your oven to 325°F.
In a large bowl or a stand mixer, combine your flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well and then add the olives, bacon, gruyere, wine. olive, and eggs and mix well.
Use pan spray to thoroughly coat a standard loaf 9.25 X 5.25 loaf pan. I use a Teflon one for extra assurance that it will release easily. I line my loaf pan with a strip of parchment paper for extra added ease in removing the olive bread when finished.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 325°F for 1 hour. Raise temperature to 400°F and bake 10 minutes more. The olive bread is done when you can insert a toothpick in and it comes out clean.
notes
Olive bread is best enjoyed slightly cooled off with a green salad. If you refrigerate it, try toasting slices in your toaster before serving.
