Olive Bread

As my tap class was getting ready for our annual year-end party, I volunteered to bring something that could be considered "real food"...ie. something that was not dessert. I decided to try and make this olive bread since it would go well with the pasta that someone else was bringing.

This was actually not my first time making this recipe, but it was the first time that I carefully read through the directions instead of briefly looking at them and being convinced that I had them memorized. The first time, after so confidently heading into my kitchen with the recipe committed to memory, I not only forgot to add the melted butter but I added the ingredients backwards. The result was an extremely dry looking bowl of ingredients, I can't even call it a dough or a batter. Once I figured out I was missing the batter I added it in, but it was too late. The dough clumped into pieces and refused to allow the butter to be incorporated completely. My friend and I decided to bake it anyways, since we already put the effort into assembling it, and ate it regardless.
 
This time I followed the correct order and I remembered to add the melted butter. I substituted some of the ingredients from the original recipe but I think the concept was still the same. Unfortunately, when I mixed the ingredients together the result was more of a dough than a batter as the recipe described. As a result, the bread was quite dense and now light and airy as I imagined it to be. I might try just using one cup of flour next time and see how that changes the texture. Luckily, it was still widely received in my tap class. Below is my adaptation of the recipe; the original recipe is courtesy of Laura Calder of the Food Network show French Food at Home, and can be found here.

Olive Bread

• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground pepper
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/3 cup green olives, sliced and pitted
• 1/3 cup Kalamata (black) olives, sliced and pitted
• 1 cup feta cheese, lightly crushed, plus a little extra for sprinkling
• Pinch of salt

1. Heat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Butter and flour a loaf pan. (I used a 9" x 5" and sprayed it with Pam)
2. Sift the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl, and stir the salt and pepper through. 
3. Beat the eggs into the flour. Beat in the melted butter. 
4. Stir through the remaining ingredients to distribute evenly. 
5. Transfer the dough into the pan, making sure it is spread evenly across. Sprinkle some feta cheese over the top and bake 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
6. Cool slightly. Remove from pan. Slice, and serve.