Ingredients for Olive Oil Bread (Zeytinyağlı Ekmek)
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Half a packet fresh yeast
- 1.5 water glasses (about 200 ml / 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp each) warm water
- 1/2 glass olive oil
- Flour as needed (approximately 4–5 water glasses)
How to Make Olive Oil Bread (Zeytinyağlı Ekmek)
In a bowl, combine half a packet of fresh yeast, 1.5 water glasses (about 200 ml / 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp) of warm water, and 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar; stir and let rest for five minutes. Add flour as needed, half a glass of olive oil, and 2 teaspoons of salt, then knead into a soft dough that does not stick to your hands. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise for one hour. Transfer the risen dough to a work surface and knead again. Place the dough into a greased heart-shaped cake pan and shape it with your hands. Let it rest for another twenty minutes. Bake in a 200°C (390°F) oven until the top is golden brown. As soon as you take it out of the oven, brush the top with olive oil while still warm.
Pro Tip
* You can check if it is done by inserting a wooden skewer into the center. (If it comes out clean, the bread is ready.)About This Recipe
We think it is worth getting to know this miraculous liquid extracted from olives. How do we tell apart the wide variety of olive oils sold in supermarkets today — some with enormous price differences between them? Does a higher price mean a healthier product? Extra virgin, virgin, riviera… What do all these terms mean?
Extra virgin olive oil is of the highest quality: it undergoes no chemical or heat treatment, and its taste and aroma are flawless. These oils are fruity — meaning that depending on the variety of olive, you may detect aromas of fresh almond, banana peel, or fresh grass in their scent and flavor.
Virgin olive oil (first grade) never contains refined olive oil. It has minor imperfections in taste and aroma but retains its fruitiness, making it the highest quality olive oil after extra virgin. Unfortunately, in our country it is often sold at very high prices simply because the word "First" appears in its name.
Riviera olive oil: don't be fooled by its glamorous name. It is obtained by blending natural olive oil and refined olive oil in certain proportions.
Lampant (Lampante Oil): You won't find an olive oil sold under this name in supermarkets. It is of very low quality, unfit for consumption, and is classified as defective.
It is best to avoid olive oils labeled with any name other than extra virgin, virgin, or riviera, because legally these are the only three terms that define quality and make oversight possible.
Now that we've cleared up the question marks in our minds about olive oil, let's move on to our recipe for Olive Oil Bread (Zeytinyağlı Ekmek) — something you can enjoy at home with both pleasure and peace of mind.
