Yummy Black Olive Tabouli Bread

This isn’t a conventional bread machine loaf. The mix of black olives, chopped dried apricots, and tabouli mix (the cracked-bulgur-and-herb seasoning blend) pulls this bread firmly toward the eastern Mediterranean. The salty olives play against the sweet apricots, and the parsley, mint, and bulgur in the tabouli mix add herby, nutty notes that perfume the whole loaf.

Yogurt is the secret to tenderness here. Two tablespoons isn’t much but the acidity helps the gluten relax and gives the bread a slightly tangy, soft crumb that pairs beautifully with the savoury-sweet mix-ins. A half tablespoon of applesauce keeps the bread moist longer.

The bread is built for a Mediterranean spread. Slice and toast it for hummus, top it with feta and tomato, or use it as the base for a deconstructed tabouli sandwich.

Pro Tips

• Load the bread machine in the order your manual specifies. Most want wet first, then dry, with yeast on top and not touching the salt.
• Chop the black olives coarsely and drain them well. Wet olives throw off the dough hydration; large chunks make the bread harder to slice cleanly.
• Cut the dried apricots small, about the size of a pea. Big chunks tear the crumb and brown unevenly on the crust.
• Watch the dough during the first knead. If it looks too wet or too dry, add a tablespoon of flour or water to correct.

Variations

• Substitute Kalamata olives for the black olives for a more robust olive flavour.
• Swap dried figs or dates for the apricots for a sweeter, jammier dried-fruit pocket.
• Add a teaspoon of za’atar or sumac to the dough for additional Middle Eastern seasoning.