Caramelized Onion, Gruyere and Olive Bread (no knead)
A hardy, rustic style bread speckled with caramelized onions, crushed olives, and savory Gruyere cheese. Then, it's topped with even more Gruyere cheese for a stunning presentation. Serve with butter topped with fresh thyme for even more flavor!
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*Easily adjust serving size to your liking by clicking the number under servings or with the boxes below in the ingredients section.
Equipment
- Plastic Wrap
Ingredients
- 3 cups All-purpose flour
- 2 medium Yellow onions
- ⅓ cup Castelvetrano Olives or your favorite green olives, pitted, roughly chopped
- 2 cups Gruyere Cheese shreaded, divided
- 2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil for brushing the cast iron skillet
- 1 ½ cups warm water plus more as needed (see notes)
For serving:
- Butter, Sea Salt, Fresh Thyme, Olive Oil
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, add sliced onions and cook, stirring every few minutes until golden and caramelized but not mushy (15-20 mins). See more tips for caramelizing onions. Set aside and cool. Makes about 1 cup of caramelized onions depending on the onion's size.
- In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour and salt and gently mix. (See note 1 below.) Add ¾ cup of the cooled onions, chopped olives, half of the gruyere cheese, and yeast. Gently mix until well combined. Slowly stir in the water a little at a time until a firm, but sticky dough forms. (See note 2 below, and the photos in the step-by-step above for reference.) Cover the dough with plastic wrap and a paper towel and set in a warm place for 4 hours or until doubled in size. (See notes 3 and 4.)
- Preheat your oven to 425℉ and position a rack in the center
- Using a pastry brush, brush the inside of the cast iron skillet with a thin coat of olive oil. Using a rubber spatula, gently transfer the dough to the cast iron skillet (see note 5).
- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the remaining gruyere cheese. Bake another 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and let the bread sit in the cast iron skillet for 5 minutes, then remove from the skillet, transfer to a wire rack, and cool for another 25-30 minutes (note 6).
- Slice and serve with butter topped with fresh thyme, flaky seas salt and a drizzle of olive oil.
Notes
Tips + Tricks
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- Measure accurately: For consistent results, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level with a knife.
- Adjust hydration: No-knead bread recipes typically have a high hydration level, but you may need to adjust it slightly (I recommend adding 1 tablespoon at a time) depending on factors like humidity and the type of flour you're using. The dough should be sticky but still manageable.
- Be patient with rise/fermentation: The key to developing flavor in no-knead bread is allowing the dough to ferment slowly over a long period. Four hours is the shortest amount of time needed for this dough to rise, however, the fermentation period can range from 4 to 24 hours or even longer.
- Experiment with rising/fermentation time and temperature: You can adjust the fermentation time and temperature to suit your schedule and preferences. A longer fermentation at cooler temperatures (such as in the refrigerator) develops more complex flavors, while a shorter fermentation at warmer temperatures speeds up the process.
- Handle the dough gently: Since you're not kneading the dough, it's important to handle it gently to avoid deflating it too much. Use a light touch when transferring it to the cast iron skillet.
- Let it cool: Allow the bread to cool in the skillet for a few minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps prevent the crust from becoming soggy.
Reheating, Storing + Freezing
Reheating: This bread is wonderful grilled 2-3 mins per side over medium heat)or air-fried (4 mins @ 370F) with a little olive oil. Storing: Store this bread in a plastic bag at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freezing: Freeze this bread in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. When ready to use, remove from the freezer and allow to defrost for 2-4 hours.Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 262kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 12gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 726mgPotassium: 99mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 268IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 280mgIron: 2mg
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