Riviera Loaf

Split an Italian loaf in half, spread it with a punchy mix of sun-dried tomatoes, two kinds of olives, garlic, and parsley, blanket it in mozzarella, and bake until bubbly. That’s it. Twenty minutes from cutting board to table.

The oil packed with the sun-dried tomatoes is your secret weapon here. Use that reserved oil as the base for the topping spread instead of adding extra olive oil. It’s already infused with tomato flavor and keeps the bread from drying out in the hot oven.

Using both ripe black olives and pimento-stuffed green olives gives you two different flavor profiles in one bite: the mellow, buttery black olives balance the briny, slightly tangy green ones. Chop everything roughly so you get visible pieces across the bread rather than a smooth paste.

Chef Tips

• Use a sturdy Italian loaf with a thick crust. Soft sandwich bread won’t hold up under the toppings and goes limp.
• Don’t overload the bread. A thin, even layer of the olive-tomato mixture lets the mozzarella melt directly onto the bread in spots, creating those golden, crispy cheese edges.
• Slice while hot. The cheese firms up quickly and pulling it apart once it cools makes a mess.

Variations

• Add thinly sliced prosciutto or salami on top of the cheese before baking for a heartier version.
• Swap mozzarella for crumbled feta and skip the baking for a room-temperature Mediterranean bruschetta style.
• Scatter fresh basil leaves on top right after it comes out of the oven.