Mediterranean Cheese & Olive Sourdough
If you love savory bread inclusions, this Mediterranean cheese & olive sourdough is one you'll come back to again and again. It's full of cheese, olives, and has a classic sourdough texture we all want. It looks fancy, but it's actually very doable at home, even if you're still getting comfortable with sourdough. It's also one of the easiest inclusion loaves so if you're new to adding inclusions, it's the perfect one to start with.
It fits right in on a Mediterranean-style table with dips, soups, or grilled dishes. I love making it when we have people over because it feels a little extra, but doesn't require much extra work.
I have some more sourdough inclusions loaves here on the website, and my absolute favorites are cranberry walnut sourdough bread and sourdough bread with roasted garlic and parmesan cheese!
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Quick Look
- Prep Time: ~45-60 minutes (hands-on)
- Bulk Fermentation: 4-5 hours at room temperature
- Final Proof: 1-2 hours at room temp OR overnight in fridge
- Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
- Total Time: 5-7 hours (room temp) or up to 18 hours with overnight proof
- Servings: 8-10 slices
- Difficulty: Medium
- Baking Method: Oven baked in a Dutch oven
- Best For: Weekend baking, Mediterranean-style meals, soups, pasta nights
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- Summarize & Save This Recipe On:
- Quick Look
- Important Ingredients
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Mediterranean Cheese & Olive Sourdough
- Baking Schedule
- 💭Crucial Success Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- How To Store Mediterranean Cheese & Olive Sourdough
- Other Delicious Recipes
- Mediterranean Cheese & Olive Sourdough
- Need Help Tweaking This Recipe?
- Other Basic Sourdough Bread Recipes You'll Love
- Fast Sourdough Bread Recipe
- Hybrid Sourdough Bread (With Yeast)
- 3-Step Sourdough in Under 4 Hours
Important Ingredients
- All-purpose flour is the base for the sourdough
- Active sourdough starter gives the bread rise and flavor, no yeast needed!
- Cheeses (Parmesan & Edam) melt into the loaf for creamy pockets, and adding a bit of extra salty-ness.
- Black olives add bursts of savory flavor throughout the crumb
- Butter makes the topping and crumb richer
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Cheese swaps - If Edam isn't available, try Monterey Jack, mozzarella, Colby Jack, or mild cheddar.
- Olive variations - Green olives work too, just chop them finely.
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How to Make Mediterranean Cheese & Olive Sourdough
Step 1: In a large bowl, combine the flour, water, sourdough starter, and salt. Mix everything together using a Danish dough whisk or your hands until no dry flour remains.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes (Image 1).
Step 2: While the dough rests, prepare the inclusions: thinly chop olives and grate the cheeses (Image 2).
Step 3: Sprinkle the grated cheeses and chopped olives over the dough.
Perform your first set of stretch and folds (Image 3), folding the dough over itself several times so the inclusions begin to incorporate into the dough.
Repeat the stretch and fold process two more times, about 30 minutes apart, so that all the stretch and folds are completed within the first two hours or so.
Step 4: Let the dough ferment at room temperature until it becomes puffy and airy (Image 4).
With this amount of starter, bulk fermentation usually takes about 4-5 hours, depending on the temperature in your kitchen.
Step 5: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface (Image 5).
For an oval loaf, gently roll the dough up once, then roll it again from the edge to tighten it slightly. Pull the dough toward you along the longer side to create surface tension.
For a round loaf, start on the shorter side and gently scoop and turn the dough until the surface becomes tight.
Step 6: Place the shaped dough seam side up into a floured banneton.
Cover and refrigerate overnight OR let it rise on room temperature for about 1-2 hours (Image 6), then bake it.
Step 7: Preheat the oven to 250°C (480°F) with a Dutch oven inside.
Turn the dough (Image 7) onto parchment paper or a bread mat, score the top, and place it into the hot Dutch oven.
Bake
- 20-25 minutes uncovered
- 20 minutes covered
Step 8: Let the bread cool completely before slicing (Image 8).
Hint: if your dough feels sticky while adding the olives and cheese, wet your hands slightly before doing your stretch and folds. It makes everything so much easier and prevents tearing the dough.
Baking Schedule
- Mix dough & rest: 30-40 minutes
- Stretch & folds: ~30 minutes x3
- Bulk fermentation: 4-5 hours
- Final proof: 1-2 hours or overnight
- Bake: 40-45 minutes
💭Crucial Success Tips
Don't overload with olives or cheese. Too many inclusions can weigh the dough down and make it dense instead of airy. The measurements for the inclusions are what I think the sweet spot is, but feel free to experiment with more or less. Just remember to not deviate too much!
Recipe FAQs
A dense loaf usually means under-fermentation or too many add-ins. Let your dough rise until it's properly puffy and go easy on the olives and cheese so the structure stays strong.
Yes, this recipe is very flexible. Mozzarella, cheddar, or Monterey Jack all work well. Just stick to cheeses that melt nicely for best texture.
Yes, and I actually recommend it. An overnight cold proof improves flavor and makes the dough easier to score and bake the next day.
How To Store Mediterranean Cheese & Olive Sourdough
Store in a paper bag or bread box at room temperature for 2-3 days. You can also slice and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat slices in the oven or toaster for best results.
Other Delicious Recipes
- Fast Sourdough Bread Recipe
- Hybrid Sourdough Bread (With Yeast)
- 3-Step Sourdough in Under 4 Hours
- Dinkelbrötchen (Sourdough Spelt Rolls)
If you tried thise Mediterranean cheese & olive sourdough or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below! Happy Baking!
Mediterranean Cheese & Olive Sourdough
Jump to VideoIngredients
Dough
- 400 g all-purpose flour
- 280 g water
- 100 g active sourdough starter
- 8 g salt
Inclusions
- 50 g parmesan grated
- 80 g Edam cheese grated
- 80 g black olives chopped
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, water, sourdough starter, and salt. Mix everything together using a Danish dough whisk or your hands until no dry flour remains. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- While the dough rests, prepare the inclusions: thinly chop olives and grate the cheeses.
- Sprinkle the grated cheeses and chopped olives over the dough. Perform your first set of stretch and folds, folding the dough over itself several times so the inclusions begin to incorporate into the dough. Repeat the stretch and fold process two more times, about 30 minutes apart, so that all the stretch and folds are completed within the first two hours or so.
- Let the dough ferment at room temperature until it becomes puffy and airy. With this amount of starter, bulk fermentation usually takes about 4-5 hours, depending on the temperature in your kitchen.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. For an oval loaf, gently roll the dough up once, then roll it again from the edge to tighten it slightly. Pull the dough toward you along the longer side to create surface tension. For a round loaf, start on the shorter side and gently scoop and turn the dough until the surface becomes tight.
- Place the shaped dough seam side up into a floured banneton. Cover and refrigerate overnight OR let it rise on room temperature for about 1-2 hours, then bake it.
- Preheat the oven to 250°C (480°F) with a Dutch oven inside. Turn the dough onto parchment paper or a bread mat, score the top, and place it into the hot Dutch oven. Bake: -20 minutes covered -20-25 minutes uncovered
- Let the bread cool completely before slicing.
