Olive Ladder Bread

Black olives in every slice, a crisp crust, and a chewy, open crumb, this rustic loaf delivers big Mediterranean flavor for very little effort. A heap of pitted, chopped black olives gets kneaded right into the dough, so their savory, briny depth runs through the whole bread instead of clustering on top.

The small addition of buckwheat flour is easy to overlook but makes a difference, lending a gentle nutty, earthy note and a hint of color the all-white version misses.

Since it is built for the bread machine, the hands-on time is almost nothing. Add the ingredients in your machine’s recommended order, keeping the yeast away from the salt until kneading begins, then let it do the rest.

Shaped into the traditional ladder pattern with angled cuts, it bakes into a handsome, tearable loaf made for dipping in olive oil.

Pro Tips

• Pat the chopped olives dry before adding them so their brine doesn’t unbalance the dough’s hydration.
• If your machine has a mix-in beep, add the olives then so they stay in pieces rather than getting crushed.
• Keep the yeast from touching the salt or water in the pan until mixing starts, which protects the rise.
• For the classic ladder shape, flatten the dough into an oval, cut diagonal slits, and open them wide before the final bake.

Variations

• Mix in green olives or kalamatas for a sharper, brinier flavor.
• Fold in chopped rosemary or sun-dried tomatoes.
• Brush the top with olive oil and a sprinkle of coarse salt before baking.