The Best Rustic Rosemary Olive Sourdough Spelt Bread

With the holiday season upon us, my cravings for festive seasonings like sage, thyme, and rosemary are heightened. While all of these herbs are delicious in their own right, I have a personal affinity for rosemary. There are so many amazing ways to use rosemary, and paired with olives and bread is one of my favourites. If this sounds good to you too, then you’ll want to try this Rustic Rosemary and Olive Sourdough Spelt Bread. It combines the herbaceous notes of rosemary with the saltiness of olives and the mild nuttiness of spelt, all together in a delicious sourdough loaf.

Why You’ll Love It

This sourdough spelt bread is a 50-50 blend of whole-grain spelt flour and bread flour. I often make the basic recipe (without rosemary and olives) for family and friends, and everyone loves it. My brother even offered to pay me for it!

Adding the rosemary and olives just brings it up a notch, tying in some of the best flavours of the season.

What’s even better is that this bread can be made any time of year, with the rosemary and olives pairing well with Mediterranean food or just on its own with a spread of your choice. Enjoy it fresh or toasted, or make it into the most delicious croutons for your soup or salad.

This sourdough loaf also makes an excellent gift for friends and family. Simply wrap it in parchment and tie it with string or ribbon to give it a charming, handcrafted look.

Why Sourdough?

The long fermentation sourdough undergoes provides several health benefits.

First, the process breaks down gluten and phytic acid making it easier to digest. This may make sourdough a better option for those with mild gluten sensitivities.

For the same reason, sourdough bread allows for better nutrient absorption. Whole grains contain phytates which can block absorption of key nutrients such as calcium, iron, and magnesium. Because the long fermentation helps break down phytates, these nutrients are more bioavailable in sourdough than in regular bread.

Sourdough’s glycemic index is also lower than regular bread. The lactic acid produced during the fermentation process reduces sourdough’s glycemic impact. This means a slower release of sugar into the blood which helps those with type 2 diabetes manage their glucose levels.

Ways to Enjoy the Best Rustic Rosemary Olive Sourdough Bread

• With soup
• On a charcuterie board
• As a sandwich – try it spread with hummus and topped with lettuce and tomato!
• With a holiday meal – who doesn’t love sourdough bread on the table at a festive gathering?
• With spinach and artichoke dip – this one needs no explanation!
• With olive oil and balsamic vinegar – my kids are fond of this one
• As croutons on a salad – this is my favourite way to use sourdough bread that is getting stale. Simply cube, toss in olive oil and salt, and bake for 20 minutes – yum!

Tools Needed

• Dutch oven – sourdough bread turns out best when baked in a Dutch oven.
• Kitchen scale – I find weighing out the ingredients yields the most consistent outcome.
• Liquid measuring cup
• Dough scraper (optional) – makes working with wet dough easier
• Lame/razor blade/sharp knife – for scoring the dough before baking

Ingredients

• Spelt flour, whole grain – the nutty flavour of spelt makes this bread a hit
• Bread flour – or substitute with all-purpose
• Salt – I use Celtic or Himalayan
• Sourdough starter – fed and active
• Honey/molasses – I like to use honey in this recipe, but many prefer the rich, complex flavour and colour the molasses gives to the bread
• Water – room temperature
• Olives – I use Kalamata but other varieties can be substituted
• Rosemary – dried

How to Make the Best Rustic Rosemary Sourdough Spelt Bread

Mix Ingredients

Whisk the spelt and bread flour together with the salt in a large mixing bowl.

Add room temperature water, honey, and sourdough starter to a liquid measuring cup and stir well.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine with your hands until you have a wet dough. Ensure there is no dry flour left.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow it to sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

After an hour, add the dried rosemary and olives to the dough and begin the stretch and folds.

Stretch and Folds

Grab one side of the dough in the bowl and lift it just until it’s about to break. Then fold it over to the other side of the dough.

Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat until you have made one or two full rotations, or the dough begins to resist (it does not stretch as easily).

Cover the bowl again with plastic wrap and let the dough sit for another 15 minutes.

Repeat 3 or 4 rounds of stretch-and-folds, allowing the dough to rest for 15 minutes between each round.

First Shaping

After the final round, lightly dust a clean surface with flour and turn the dough onto it. Using a dough scraper, gently shape the dough into a ball (it doesn’t need to be perfect).

Bench Rest

Sprinkle the top of the dough with a little flour and leave it to rest for 15-20 minutes.

Final Shaping

After the bench rest, fold two opposite sides of the dough towards the centre; then fold the other two opposite sides into the centre. Using the dough scraper, gently flip the dough over and begin rotating the dough with the dough scraper and your other hand (or just your two hands). While rotating the dough, gently tuck the bottom sides of the dough under itself. Do this until you have a nice ball shape. This creates surface tension and helps the dough to hold its shape.

Basket Proofing

Using a gluten-free flour such as sorghum or rice flour, generously dust a linen-lined banneton basket. If a banneton is unavailable, use a medium mixing bowl lined with a clean tea towel.

Gently flip the round dough into the banneton, smooth side down. Place the banneton into a clean plastic bag and seal it. Leave to rest at room temperature for 1 – 3 hours. The warmer your place, the less time needed for the dough to ferment. Keep in mind that whole-grain flours tend to ferment more quickly than refined flours.

Cold Proofing

After the basket proofing, transfer the banneton to the fridge for at least 8 hours or up to 36 hours to cold-proof it. This step slows the fermentation process and develops more complex flavours in the bread. It also contributes to the oven spring when the cold dough goes into the hot oven. Cold-proofing also makes the dough easier to score.

Baking Prep

An hour before you want to bake your loaf, preheat your Dutch oven with lid on at 525 F for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remember that the hotter the Dutch oven, the better the oven spring.

When ready to bake, prepare a piece of parchment paper larger than your sourdough. Crumple it into a ball and then open it up and smooth it out on the counter. I find this step helps the parchment to fit more easily inside the Dutch oven.

Remove the sourdough from the fridge and take it out of the bag. Gently flip it out onto the parchment.

There is usually gluten-free flour stuck to the bottom of the dough. Gently smooth it out over the top surface of the dough. This will provide a contrast for when you score the dough. If there is not enough flour, sprinkle a little more on the dough and gently distribute it over the surface of the dough with your hand.

Score the sourdough with a lame. A simple curved slash down the middle will suffice, or you can create a more intricate design. This allows a more controlled expansion while the bread is baking rather than random cracks, and creates a crispy crust with a soft interior.

Baking

Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and gently transfer the sourdough with the parchment paper into the Dutch oven. Use the the corners of the parchment to help you do this so you don’t burn yourself on the Dutch oven. Replace the lid and return to the oven. Lower the oven temperature to 475 F. Bake for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, remove the lid of the Dutch oven and bake for another 15 minutes at 425 F. This creates a crispier and deep golden crust.

Once baking has finished, place the bread on a cooling rack. Allow to cool for at least 3 hours before cutting into it to prevent the bread from drying out.

Notes

• Spelt ferments faster than other flours, so watch your dough to prevent over-proofing.
• Sourdough tends to last longer at room temperature than regular bread. I’ve kept it for up to a week.
• Fresh rosemary can be used in place of dried. As a general rule, triple the amount of fresh (ie., 1 tsp dried rosemary = 1 tablespoon fresh).