This impressive Shallot Black Olive Focaccia Bread is made in under 2 hours with a simple olive oil yeast dough and a flavorful combination of kalamata olives and roasted shallots.
After developing my recipe for Rosemary Garlic Focaccia Bread, I have been dreaming of all the tasty variations of homemade focaccia that can be made. I absolutely love olives, so of course I had to include them in a recipe!
Most of my recipes are for sweet baking and decadent desserts, but I do dabble in some savory breads and scones/biscuits from time to time like my Cheddar Garlic Butter Biscuits, Sundried Tomato & Smoked Cheddar Scones, or Italian Herb & Cheese Dinner Rolls!
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⭐️ Why You Need to Make This Focaccia Recipe
- Time - You can make this bread in under 2 hours from start to finish - 90 minutes if you are super quick at whipping it together!
- Flavor - This bread is an explosion of flavors between the salty Kalamata olives and shallots that get toasty on top of the bread.
- Texture - This focaccia has a light, fluffy texture inside with a golden crispy exterior from all the olive oil that the bread is coated in.
🧈 Ingredients
Here are the ingredients needed to make this shallot and Kalamata olive focaccia bread.
Ingredient Notes
- Bread Flour - I recommend using bread flour for an elite light and airy texture but all-purpose flour would absolutely work too!
- Salt - Don't forget the salt! Salt is an extremely important ingredient for a flavorful dough. Flour, water, and oil are very bland so the 1 teaspoon of salt is very necessary; do not omit or reduce it!
- Onion Powder - Just ½ teaspoon of onion powder amplifies the flavor throughout the dough.
- Warm Water - The water should be around 100-110℉. Any hotter than 110℉ will kill the yeast and the bread won't rise.
- Instant Yeast - Also called quick-rise yeast, this is different than active dry yeast. Instant yeast doesn't require proofing before adding to the dough so we just mix it with the warm water until dissolved before adding to the other ingredients.
- Black Olives - Use Kalamata olives that have been drained, pitted, and chopped if you like them. For a milder flavor, use canned black olives that have been drained and chopped.
- Shallots - Peel and slice a shallot finely. If you don't have shallots, use a very finely sliced red or white onion.
See the recipe card for the full list of ingredients with measurements.
📃 Instructions
Step 1: Whisk together the bread flour, salt, and onion powder. Stir in the chopped olives.
Step 2: Whisk together the warm water and instant yeast separately just until the yeast dissolves.
Step 3: Add the olive oil to the water and yeast mixture.
Step 4: Add to the bowl and mix in the bowl just until a shaggy dough forms before turning the mixture onto a clean, lightly floured countertop.
Step 5: Knead for 1-2 minutes just until the dough is smooth yet still sticky and moist. You may need to add a sprinkle of flour if there is a lot of moisture from the olives. Place in a well-oiled bowl and cover loosely.
Step 6: Let the dough rise in a warm place for 40 minutes or until doubled in size.
Step 7: Deflate the dough gently and transfer to a 9-inch pan that has been greased with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Top the dough with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, chopped shallots, extra olives, salt, and pepper
Step 8: . Cover and let rise for an additional 20 minutes while the oven preheats. After rising, use your fingers to make dimples in the risen dough here and there without deflating all of the dough.
Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden on top and around the edges of the bread. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool slightly before slicing to serve.
💡 Top Tip
This homemade olive focaccia is great served while still warm. There is already a lot of olive oil in and on the bread so it is quite rich. You can serve it with butter or dip in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
❓ Recipe FAQs
This focaccia is great served alongside soup, pasta, or on a sandwich. Serve with butter or dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
You could omit the olives entirely or replace them with sundried tomatoes that have been drained and patted dry (if in oil).
You may use finely sliced red or white onion in place of shallots.
You can store fully cooled leftover focaccia in an airtight container for up to 3 days, however, it is best eaten fresh.
🫒 More Savory Recipes
Looking for other recipes to serve with a meal? Try these:
If you tried these Black Olive Shallot Focaccia or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and write a little note telling me how it went in the comments below. Thank you!!
📖 Recipe
Shallot Black Olive Focaccia Bread
Equipment
- 9x9-inch baking pan
- mixing bowls
- measuring cups & spoons
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 2 cups bread flour * (all-purpose works too)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ cup kalamata olives *(pitted and chopped)
- ¾ cup warm water (110℉)
- 1 tablespoon quick-rise yeast (instant yeast)
- ¼ cup olive oil
For the Topping:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 tablespoons sliced shallot *
- 2 tablespoons sliced kalamata olives
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Mix together the flour, salt, and onion powder in a mixing bowl. Stir in the chopped olives. Whisk together the warm water (110℉) and instant yeast in a glass measuring cup until the yeast is dissolved. Add the olive oil before slowly adding all the mixture into the flour mixture while mixing to form a loose dough.
- Turn onto a lightly floured counter and knead until a smooth (yet still sticky and moist) dough forms - about 1-2 minutes of kneading. You might need to add a little sprinkle of flour. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a bowl that has been well-greased with olive oil (seam side down). Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 40 minutes.
- Grease the bottom of a 9X9-inch pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once the dough has risen for 1 hour, lift it out of the bowl and gently place it in the prepared pan. Press the dough into the corners.
- Add the sliced shallot and extra olives to the top of the dough and sprinkle with the salt and black pepper. Lastly, drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil on top of everything. Cover loosely and let rise for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400℉.
- After rising, press your fingers here and there to make dimples in the dough to create that classic focaccia look without completely deflating the dough. Bake immediately in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before removing from the pan to slice and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- I recommend using bread flour for an elite light and airy texture but all-purpose flour would work too
- Use Kalamata olives that have been drained, pitted, and chopped if you like them. For a milder flavor, use canned black olives that have been drained and chopped.
- Peel and slice a shallot finely. If you don't have shallots, use a very finely sliced red or white onion.