This traditional Greek Liopsomo (olive bread) brings together the rich, buttery texture of brioche with the bold flavors of Mediterranean olives.
A perfect balance of savory and indulgent, this homemade bread takes just under 2 hours to create, yet delivers restaurant-quality results.
Each slice packs 7.5g of protein and the perfect amount of healthy fats from olives, making it an excellent addition to any meal.
Whether served alongside your favorite Mediterranean dishes or enjoyed on its own, this brioche-style olive bread promises to elevate your dining experience.
Fresh Mediterranean Olive Bread Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: 370g total, divided into 250g and 120g portions for optimal texture
- Sugar: 2 tablespoons (flat), helps activate the yeast
- Salt: 1 teaspoon, enhances overall flavor
- Dry yeast: 8g (1 tablespoon), the key leavening agent
- Olive oil: 60g, adds authentic Mediterranean moisture
- Beer: 140g, room temperature for proper fermentation
- Eggs: 2 whole eggs, creates rich texture
- Feta cheese: 150g, adds savory tang
- Black olives: 15-20 pieces, pitted and ready for filling
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prepare the Base: Combine 250g flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a large bowl using a dough hook
- Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in room temperature beer, followed by olive oil until well combined
- Incorporate Eggs: Add eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated
- Complete the Dough: Mix in remaining 120g flour for 4-5 minutes until sticky consistency achieved
- First Rise: Place in oiled bowl, dust with flour, cover, and let rise for 1 hour until doubled
- Shape and Fill: Roll dough into rectangle, top with crumbled feta and olives
- Create Layers: Cut into 5cm strips, stack, then cut into 7-8 vertical pieces
- Second Rise: Arrange in oiled cake tin, cover, and let rise 40 minutes
- Bake to Perfection: Cook at 180°C for 30 minutes until golden and crusty
Dough Making Tips
Making this brioche-style dough is a fun process! The key is being patient with the mixing and rising steps. Your dough will be sticky – that’s exactly what you want!
Don’t add extra flour even if you’re tempted. The sticky texture helps create that soft, pillowy bread we’re after.
A little trick: if your hands get too sticky while handling the dough, lightly oil them instead of using flour.
Make It Your Own
While this Greek bread shines with feta and olives, you can play around with different fillings! Try sun-dried tomatoes and mozzarella for an Italian twist, or go with herbs and gouda for something different.
Just keep the total amount of filling similar to the original recipe. If you’re not a beer fan, use warm water instead – though the beer adds a lovely depth of flavor to the bread.
Storage and Reheating
This bread tastes amazing fresh from the oven, but you can keep it for 2-3 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
To refresh it, pop it in a warm oven (160°C/320°F) for about 5 minutes. You can also slice and freeze it for up to a month – just wrap it well in foil and place in a freezer bag. Warm frozen slices in the oven or toaster.
Serving Ideas
Serve this bread warm as part of a Mediterranean spread with extra virgin olive oil for dipping. It’s perfect alongside a Greek salad or a bowl of soup.
For breakfast, try toasting a slice and drizzling it with honey – the salty feta and sweet honey are magical together! This bread also makes wonderful sandwich bread, especially with grilled vegetables or cold cuts.
Delicious Brioche-style Olive Bread (Liopsomo)
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Electric mixer with dough hook
- Rolling Pin
- Rectangular cake tin
Ingredients
For the Bread
- 370 g all-purpose flour separated into 250g and 120g
- 2 tablespoons sugar flat, not heaped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 g dry yeast
- 60 g olive oil
- 140 g beer at room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 150 g feta cheese
- 15-20 black olives pitted
Instructions
- To prepare this delicious olive bread, start by making the dough. In a large bowl, add the flour (250g), the sugar, salt and yeast and mix (using the dough hook of an electric mixer).
- Pour in the beer and mix, until absorbed. Pour in the olive oil and mix, until combined. (We use olive oil, instead of butter for a more Mediterranean flavour). Add the eggs, one at a time, waiting for each one to be absorbed, before adding another. At the end, add the rest of the flour (120g) and mix for 4-5 minutes (the dough should become sticky, so don’t try to add more flour).
- Coat a bowl with oil and place in the dough, sprinkle with some flour, cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise (in a warm place) for at least 1 hour, until it doubles its size. If you don’t have the time to wait or the environment you are is relatively cold, preheat the oven to 30C, turn it off and place the bowl in the oven.
- Deflate carefully the dough and stretch it out, using a rolling pin (or just your hands), like a pizza base (rectangular), approx. 0.4 cm thick. Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese and the olives, like topping a pizza. (you can use any kind of ingredients you prefer)
- With a sharp knife cut the dough into strips (approx. 5 cm width); layer the strips one on top of the other and cut vertically into 7-8 pieces. Oil the bottom and sides of a rectangular cake tin and lay the pieces one next to the other, vertically, like slices of bread. Cover the cake tin with a kitchen towel and let it rise (in a warm place) for about 40 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180C and bake for 30 minutes, until the olive bread is browned and crusty. Enjoy while still warm!