This savory olive dish resembles a loaf of bread, but is really more like a combination of bread and quiche! The consistency is kind of like a fallen soufflé, but it slices like bread. While it’s a little hard to describe, it’s super easy to eat (a lot) of the delicious and savory dish. We serve it as a side dish for dinner, but it would be just as good for breakfast, especially if you like eggs and olives, and it makes a fun appetizer, too! It’s totally different than our Olive Sourdough Loaf, which truly is a loaf of bread, and our Cheddar & Olive Bagels, but it’s really delicious nevertheless!
I originally found this recipe in a little cookbook of Parisian recipes, but I no longer have the book and cannot remember the name of it, either. Although the dish was called Olive Cake in the cookbook, it’s not at all like a cake, and really reminds me of a fallen soufflé, in that it poofs up nice and tall as it’s baking, but once removed from the oven it settles down and becomes a bit more like a loaf.
We usually make this recipe with Kalamata olives, but any Greek olive, whether black or green work beautifully in this dish! We especially love the Mt. Athos green Greek olives and they would be amazing in this recipe, too.
Kalamata Olive Loaf
Equipment
- 1 9 x 6 loaf pan
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 9 oz. milk we use 2%
- 3 oz. freshly grated cheese: Pecorino Romano, Parmesan or Gruyere
- 3 oz. Kalamata olives, pitted and halved Can use any Greek type of olive
- 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Grease or spray a 9×6 inch loaf pan. Preheat the oven to 425° F. (Reduce temp to 400° F if using a glass loaf pan.)
- Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Slowly add eggs, whisking to incorporate. Then whisk in the milk to blend. Stir in olives, cheese and olive oil.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until firm to the touch and golden brown on top, approximately 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. To serve as an appetizer, cut the loaf into bite-sized cubes, or cut into slices to serve as a side dish.
