Name: Gluten Free Kalamata Olive Bread
Prep time: 75 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 115 min
Ingredients: 3 cups Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour; 1.5 cups Warm Water; 1 tbsp Active Dry Yeast; 2 tbsp Olive Oil; 1 tsp Salt; 3/4 cup Chopped Kalamata Olives; 1 tbsp Fresh Rosemary

This gluten free kalamata olive bread is one of my favorite recipes to make at home. It’s soft, flavorful, and honestly tastes like something you’d get from a good bakery.

The combination of kalamata olives and fresh rosemary gives this bread so much flavor without needing a long list of ingredients. It’s simple but it hits all the right notes.

And yes, it’s 100% gluten free. If you’ve been looking for a good homemade bread that works with a gluten free diet, this one is really worth trying.

The recipe uses gluten free all-purpose flour, yeast, olive oil, and a few other pantry staples. Nothing complicated or hard to find.

Whether you want to serve it alongside soup, use it for sandwiches, or just enjoy a warm slice with some butter, this bread works for all of it.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Perfect for Gluten Free Bread Lovers – If you’ve been missing real, crusty bread since going gluten free, this kalamata olive bread will make you so happy. It has that satisfying chew and flavor that most gluten free breads just can’t deliver.

Great With Soups and Stews – This olive bread is the perfect side for dipping into a warm bowl of soup or stew. The olives and rosemary add an extra layer of flavor that plain gluten free bread just can’t compete with.

Kalamata Olives Add So Much Flavor – Kalamata olives are salty, rich, and slightly tangy, and they do all the heavy lifting when it comes to making this bread taste incredible. Every bite has little pockets of olive goodness that keep you coming back for more.

The Rosemary Makes It Smell Amazing – Fresh rosemary and warm bread is one of the best smell combinations in the world. Your kitchen is going to smell like a fancy bakery while this loaf is baking, and honestly that alone is worth making it.

Ingredients

3 cups Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour
1.5 cups Warm Water
1 tbsp Active Dry Yeast
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Salt
3/4 cup Chopped Kalamata Olives
1 tbsp Fresh Rosemary

How to Make

Step 1

Mix the warm water, active dry yeast, and olive oil in a large bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Step 2

Add the gluten free all-purpose flour and salt. Mix until a sticky dough forms.

Step 3

Gently fold the chopped kalamata olives and fresh rosemary into the dough until evenly distributed.

Step 4

Scrape the dough onto a piece of parchment paper and use wet hands to shape it into a rustic oval loaf.

Step 5

Cover with a damp towel and let the loaf rise for 1 hour until puffy.

Step 6

Preheat your oven to 400F. Make two shallow slashes across the top of the loaf.

Step 7

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the crust is golden and crisp. Let it cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Helpful Tips

Check Your Water Temperature

The warm water you use to activate the yeast should be around 105-110F. If you don’t have a thermometer, it should feel warm on the inside of your wrist but not hot.

If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast and your bread won’t rise at all. If it’s too cool, the yeast won’t wake up and you’ll be waiting forever for something to happen.

After you mix the water, yeast, and olive oil together and let it sit for 5 minutes, you should see the surface get foamy and bubbly. If nothing happens, your yeast is either dead or the water was the wrong temperature, and you’ll want to start over with fresh yeast.

Use a Flour Blend That Has Xanthan Gum

Not all gluten free flour blends are the same. For this bread, you want one that already includes xanthan gum in the ingredients list. Xanthan gum is what helps hold the dough together since there’s no gluten doing that job.

If your flour blend doesn’t have xanthan gum, the bread will crumble apart and won’t hold its shape as a loaf. In that case, add about 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum when you mix in the flour and salt.

Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 and King Arthur Measure for Measure are two popular options that already have it included, so you won’t need to add anything extra.

Pat the Olives Dry Before Adding Them

Kalamata olives come packed in brine or oil, and they hold onto a lot of that liquid. Before you chop them, spread them out on a paper towel and give them a good pat to soak up the extra moisture.

If you skip this step, that extra liquid will make the dough even wetter than it should be and can create soggy pockets inside the bread. It can also mess with how the dough rises.

Once they’re dry, chop them into small pieces that are roughly the same size so you get a bit of olive in every bite.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different type of olive instead of kalamata?

Yes, you can use other olives like green Castelvetrano, Nicoise, or even basic black olives. Just keep in mind that kalamata olives have a rich, tangy flavor that really makes this bread special, so the taste will be a bit different depending on what you choose.

Whatever olive you pick, make sure to chop them up to roughly the same size and pat them dry with a paper towel. Too much extra moisture from the olives can throw off the dough consistency.