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Eliopsomo me Dendrolivano (Olive Bread with Rosemary)

Eliopsomo me Dendrolivano (Olive Bread with Rosemary)

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Eliopsomo is a traditional Greek bread made by adding olive oil and olives to the dough.

As all breads, it contains other ingredients such as flour, water, salt, sugar, and yeast and apart from olives it contains other ingredients, such as rosemary, which I have included in this recipe.

Eliopsomo has a strong olive flavour and usually has a dense, juicy texture. It is often served as a snack, appetizer, or to accompany food, instead of bread.

Eliopsomo is based on a traditional Cypriot Olive Bread.  I have made a few changes to the original recipe which is included  in my Cookbook “Mint, Cinnamon & Blossom Water, Flavours of Cyprus, Kopiaste” as well as in Volume 2 of my e-book.

I know that I said that I will be on hiatus for a short while and I will still continue for a short while but whenever I can, I want to post a few recipes which are suitable for Easter Lent.

Eliopsomo olive bread image

I first made an Elioti (see recipe here), in which I added feta and rosemary and liked the combination of these two ingredients that I included them in the bread as well.  If you want to make the recipe “nistisimi” Lenten, just omit the feta.

With the same dough and filling you can also make some olive turnovers.

olive turnovers image

With the same mixture you can make some flatbread if you prefer.

Once I finished with the dough, I divided it into two equal parts. In the first one I added half the amount of olive filling and kneaded it. I shaped it into a flatbread and made some indents in the bread using the back of a wooden spoon. I then sprinkled some sesame seeds on top, covered it with cling film and a kitchen towel and let it rise.

Eliopsomo and Tyropsomo rising image

In the other half (tyropsomo – cheese bread), I added some crumbled feta and small pieces of graviera cheese. You can add halloumi if you prefer.

I put both flatbreads on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and baked them in a preheated oven at 200oC, for about 25 minutes, or until golden on top.

Eliopsomo and Tyropsomo baked image

Eliopsomo me Dendrolivano (Olive Bread with Rosemary)

Ingredients needed:

For the dough:

  • Bread or all purpose flour
  • Fresh or dried yeast
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Sugar
  • Salt
  • Lukewarm water
  • Orange or tangerine juice

For the filling:

  • Throumbes or kalamata olives pitted and cut
  • Fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • Fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped (optional)
  • Spring onions, finely chopped
  • Feta
  • Smoked Paprika
  • Freshly grated black pepper
  • Olive oil to brush on top

Directions:

  1. In a bowl dissolve the yeast with water, add sugar and 3 tbsps flour and mix.  Cover with cling film and set aside to rise.
  2. Attach the dough hook to your mixer and put the remaining flour in the mixer bowl, with salt and olive oil. Mix to absorb olive oil and add tangerine juice until the dough forms a ball around the hook and does not stick on your hands.  Add water if necessary.
  3. Cover with a napkin and place in a warm place and allow to rise. Add the remaining ingredients and mix to combine.
  4. Line a bread tin (30 x 10 cm / 12 x 4 inches) with parchment paper and place the dough to fill half of the tin, pressing and arranging it to spread and flatten.   Cover and set aside for the bread to rise again.  Brush with olive oil and bake in a preheat oven to 180o C / 350o F about one hour.

Note:  If you do not want to bake both breads, you can freeze it and bake it another day.

Olive Bread cut photo
olive bread and turnovers image

Eliopsomo me Dendrolivano (Olive Bread with Rosemary)

Yield: 2 breads
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 1 hour

Eliopsomo is a traditional Greek bread made by adding olive oil and olives to the dough.

Ingredients

For the dough:

  • 1 kilo bread flour
  • 32 grams fresh yeast or 9 grams dried yeast
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • Lukewarm water, about 1/3 cup
  • 1 cup orange or tangerine juice

For the filling:

  • 500 grams throumbes olives pitted and cut into smaller pieces
  • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • ½ cup fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped (optional)
  • 3 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 200 grams feta, crumbled
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • Freshly grated black pepper
  • Olive oil to brush on top

Instructions

  1. In a bowl dissolve the yeast with water, add sugar and 3 tbsp flour and mix. Cover with cling film and set aside to rise.
  2. Attach the dough hook to your mixer and put the remaining flour in the mixer bowl, with salt and olive oil. Mix to absorb olive oil and add orange or tangerine juice until the dough forms a ball around the hook and does not stick on your hands. Add water if necessary.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix to combine.
  4. Cover with a napkin and place in a warm place and allow to rise.
  5. Line a bread tin (30 x 10 cm / 12 x 4 inches) with parchment paper and place the dough to fill half of the tin, pressing and arranging it to spread and flatten. Cover and set aside for the bread to rise again. Brush with olive oil and bake in a preheat oven to 180o C / 350o F about one hour.

Notes

Note: If you do not want to bake both breads, you can freeze it and bake it another day.

Instead of making bread, you can shape it into flatbread about 2 cm thick. The temperature is increased to 200oC and the time is reduced to about 25 minutes.

Instead of coriander, you can add fresh or dried mint.

Nutrition Information
Yield 2 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 2874Total Fat 100gSaturated Fat 26gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 67gCholesterol 89mgSodium 3362mgCarbohydrates 416gFiber 25gSugar 30gProtein 80g

"These values are automatically calculated and offered for guidance only. Their accuracy is not guaranteed."

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Jessica Murphy

Tuesday 1st of May 2012

This post contains useful information which helps us a lot. I have never seen such a great post. Your wonderful post can inspire a lot and helps us. I visit your website often and share with my friends.

Jean

Saturday 7th of April 2012

I had a bread like this in a restaurant a while back and still remember the greatest taste of olive and rosemary fusion.

-Jean

fimère

Friday 6th of April 2012

une tranche ne serais pas de refus! bonne soirée

Banana Wonder

Thursday 5th of April 2012

Mmmmm what a nostimo looking and sounding psomi. I am so going to make this. I love everything rosemary... alas I will have to wait until Pascha. Still fasting for the most part over here.

Reeni

Thursday 5th of April 2012

Your bread looks super delicious with all those wonderful olives! What a treat Ivy!

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