Olive Oil Sourdough Bread: Recipe, Crumb and Which Oil to Use
Olive oil sourdough bread is a naturally leavened loaf with a measured amount of extra virgin olive oil worked into the dough, and that small change gives a softer crust, a more tender crumb and a loaf that stays fresh a day longer. It also asks for a little care: added at the wrong moment, or in too large a dose, oil slows the gluten and closes up the crumb. Below is our own olive oil sourdough recipe, written for this article, in grams, US measures and baker's percentages, with a clear schedule from starter to cooling rack. After it, we explain what the oil does to the crumb at different levels, which olive oil to put in the dough and which to save for the table, and two easy extras: an olive oil dip for sourdough and crisp olive oil sourdough discard crackers.
For the oil we bake with ourselves, see our Cold-Pressed Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Marrakech (500ml).
The Short Answer
- Our olive oil sourdough uses 450g bread flour, 315g water, 90g active starter, 27g extra virgin olive oil and 9g salt: 100%, 70%, 20%, 6% and 2% in baker's percentages. It makes one round loaf of about 800g once baked.
- Add the oil after the flour, water, starter and salt have come together, not at the start, so it does not coat the flour before the gluten begins to form.
- At around 5–6% of the flour weight, olive oil gives a thinner, softer crust and a more tender, even crumb than a lean sourdough, at the cost of some of the very open, irregular holes.
- Bake in a preheated lidded pot; King Arthur Baking treats 190°F (88°C) at the centre as a reliable sign a loaf is baked, with some bakers taking dense rounds to 205–210°F (96–99°C).
- Use a good everyday extra virgin olive oil in the dough, where the oven softens its character, and your best bottle for dipping, where you taste every difference.
- The loaf is dairy-free and egg-free: flour, water, starter, olive oil and salt.
Olive Oil Sourdough Bread Recipe: Ingredients and Baker's Percentages
This makes about 890g of dough and one round loaf (a boule) of roughly 20cm (8in). Weigh everything if you can; sourdough is far more forgiving by weight than by cup. If you use cups, spoon the flour in and level it rather than scooping.
| Ingredient | Metric | US (approximate) | Baker's % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong white bread flour | 425g | 3½ cups | 94% |
| Wholemeal (whole wheat) flour | 25g | 3 tbsp | 6% |
| Water, about 27°C / 80°F | 315g (315ml) | 1⅓ cups | 70% |
| Active sourdough starter (100% hydration) | 90g | about ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp | 20% |
| Extra virgin olive oil | 27g | 2 tbsp | 6% |
| Fine salt | 9g | 1½ tsp | 2% |
What the percentages mean: every ingredient is written as a share of the total flour weight (450g), which counts as 100%. So 70% water is 70g of water per 100g of flour. Because the starter is half flour and half water, the dough's true hydration is a little higher, at about 73%, which is comfortable for a home baker: soft and extensible without being a puddle.
How to scale it: the percentages add up to 198%. Divide the dough weight you want by 1.98 to get your total flour. For two loaves totalling 1,800g of dough: 1,800 ÷ 1.98 = 909g flour, then about 636g water, 182g starter, 55g oil and 18g salt.
Your starter: it should be active and at or near its peak, roughly doubled since its last feed, domed and full of bubbles. Feed it 4–12 hours before you mix, depending on how warm your kitchen is and how quickly your starter rises.
Method: The Schedule From Starter to Loaf
A typical timetable is to feed the starter in the morning, mix in the early afternoon, shape in the evening, prove the loaf in the fridge overnight and bake the next morning. The steps:
- Mix flour and water (autolyse). In a large bowl, mix both flours with 300g of the water until no dry flour remains. Keep the other 15g aside. Cover and rest for 30–60 minutes.
- Add the starter. Add the 90g of starter and squeeze and fold it through the dough with a wet hand for 2–3 minutes until evenly mixed. Rest 30 minutes.
- Add the salt. Scatter the salt over the dough, pour over the reserved 15g of water and pinch and fold until the salt has dissolved and the dough feels smooth again. Rest 30 minutes.
- Add the olive oil. Pour over half the oil and squeeze it into the dough; it will look slippery and torn for a minute before it absorbs the oil and comes back together. Add the rest and repeat.
- Bulk ferment. Over the next 2 hours, give the dough four sets of stretch-and-folds, 30 minutes apart: lift one side, fold it over, turn the bowl and repeat on all four sides. Then cover and leave it alone. At around 24–26°C (75–79°F), bulk fermentation usually takes 4–6 hours from adding the starter, until the dough has grown by about half to three-quarters, is domed and jiggly, and shows bubbles at the sides.
- Pre-shape and shape. Turn the dough onto an unfloured worktop, round it loosely and rest it for 20–30 minutes. Then shape it into a tight round and place it seam side up in a floured banneton or a bowl lined with a floured tea towel.
- Cold prove. Cover and refrigerate for 8–16 hours. The slow, cold prove deepens the flavour and makes the loaf much easier to score.
- Heat the oven and pot. Put a lidded cast-iron casserole (Dutch oven) of about 4–5 litres in the oven and heat to 250°C conventional, 230°C fan, 480°F or gas mark 9 for 45 minutes.
- Score and bake. Turn the cold loaf onto baking paper, cut one confident slash about 1cm (½in) deep, and lower it into the pot. Bake covered for 20 minutes, then uncover, reduce to 230°C / 210°C fan / 450°F, and bake for 20–25 minutes more, until the crust is a deep golden brown.
- Cool. Cool on a rack for at least an hour, ideally two, before cutting; the crumb is still setting as the steam escapes.
An oil-enriched dough browns faster than a lean one, so check the crust 15 minutes after the lid comes off. For doneness, the base should sound hollow when tapped. If you use a probe thermometer, King Arthur Baking's own side-by-side tests found 190°F (88°C) at the centre a reliable benchmark, with loaves baked to 205°F (96°C) slightly drier and thicker-crusted; some bakers prefer that higher figure for large, dense rounds.
What Olive Oil Does to the Sourdough Crumb
Olive oil in sourdough acts as a tenderiser. The fat coats the gluten strands and some of the flour proteins, so the dough is softer and more extensible, the crumb is more tender and even, and the crust bakes thinner and less chewy. Because fat slows the crumb from drying out, an olive oil sourdough also stays soft for longer than a lean loaf.
The trade-off is the big, glossy, irregular holes that lean sourdough is known for. Fat weakens the gluten network a little, so the gas cells are smaller and more even. How much oil you use decides how far that goes:
| Oil (% of flour) | Per 450g flour | Crust | Crumb |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0% | None | Thick, crackly, chewy | Most open and irregular; stales fastest |
| 2–3% | 9–14g (2–3 tsp) | Slightly thinner | Still fairly open, a little softer |
| 5–6% (our recipe) | 23–27g (about 2 tbsp) | Thinner, softer, more golden | Tender and even, with moderate holes; keeps 2–3 days |
| 8–10% | 36–45g (2½–3½ tbsp) | Soft, richly browned | Close, soft and almost brioche-like; a sandwich-style loaf |
If you want the open crumb and only a hint of oil, stay at 2–3% and bake as normal. If you want a soft, sliceable loaf for sandwiches and toast, 5–6% is the sweet spot. Above about 10%, the dough starts heading towards focaccia, where the oil also goes in the tin; our olive oil pizza dough shows the same scale of oil levels for a yeasted dough, and our guide to baking with olive oil covers cakes, quick breads and the butter swap.
Why add the oil late?
Oil poured into dry flour coats the proteins before they have a chance to bond with water, and the dough takes noticeably longer to develop strength. Adding it once the flour, water, starter and salt have already formed a cohesive dough lets the gluten get started first. It is the same reason enriched bread recipes add butter or oil after the first few minutes of mixing.
Which Olive Oil to Use in Sourdough
Texture depends on the oil being a liquid fat, so any olive oil makes a similar crumb. Flavour is what changes, and the oven softens a lot of it. The practical answer is to treat olive oil as two ingredients:
| Oil | In the dough | For dipping and drizzling |
|---|---|---|
| Robust, peppery extra virgin | Very good; mellows in the bake and suits rosemary, olives or garlic | Excellent; you taste the grassiness and pepper |
| Mild or medium-fruity extra virgin | Very good; a rounder, gentler loaf | Good; softer and more buttery |
| Refined or "light" olive oil | Same texture, almost no olive flavour | Not worth it; there is little to taste |
| Stale or rancid olive oil | Avoid; baking does not hide crayon or old-nut flavours | Avoid |
Is it a waste to bake with good extra virgin oil? It is a fair objection. The whole loaf uses 27g, about two tablespoons or around 6% of a 500ml bottle, so a good everyday extra virgin is a sensible choice for the dough, and your freshest, most characterful bottle belongs in the dipping dish. Whatever you choose, it should be fresh; our guide to choosing a quality olive oil sets out what to check on the label.
Variations: Rosemary, Olives and Garlic
- Rosemary olive oil sourdough. Warm 4–5g (about 1½ tbsp) of finely chopped fresh rosemary gently in the 27g of oil for 4–5 minutes, never letting it sizzle, cool it, and add it at step 4. Our rosemary olive oil bread explains why warming the herb in the oil spreads its aroma through the loaf.
- Olive sourdough. Fold in 80g of pitted, roughly chopped olives, patted dry, during the third set of stretch-and-folds, and cut the salt to 7g because olives are salty.
- Garlic and herb. Warm one finely chopped garlic clove with the rosemary in the oil, or fold in a tablespoon of dried oregano with the olives.
- Sandwich tin loaf. Raise the oil to 8% (36g), shape into a log after bulk fermentation and prove in an oiled 900g (2lb) tin, then bake at 220°C / 200°C fan / 425°F for 35–40 minutes.
Use warmed herb oils straight away in the dough rather than bottling them; herbs and garlic kept in oil at room temperature carry a food-safety risk.
Olive Oil Dip for Sourdough Bread
A thick slice of sourdough dipped in olive oil is the simplest way to taste an oil properly. For two to four people, pour 60ml (¼ cup) of your best extra virgin olive oil into a shallow dish and add:
- a good pinch of flaky sea salt and a few turns of black pepper;
- optionally ½ teaspoon of dried oregano, thyme or za'atar;
- optionally 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar, dropped into the middle rather than stirred in;
- optionally half a small garlic clove, grated, made fresh and eaten the same day.
Serve the bread at room temperature or lightly warmed, torn rather than sliced so the ragged crumb catches more oil. For more combinations and proportions, see our guide to dipping oil.
Olive oil sourdough discard crackers
Starter discard makes very good crackers. Mix 100g of discard, 100g of plain or wholemeal flour, 30g (2 tbsp) of extra virgin olive oil and 3g (½ tsp) of fine salt into a firm dough. Rest it for 30 minutes, then roll it between two sheets of baking paper to about 1–2mm thick. Brush with a little more oil, scatter with flaky salt, seeds or chopped rosemary, cut into squares and prick each one with a fork. Bake at 190°C / 170°C fan / 375°F for 20–25 minutes, until golden and crisp at the edges, and cool on the tray. Use discard that has been kept in the fridge and smells pleasantly sour; discard any that shows mould.
Is Olive Oil Sourdough Healthy?
The honest answer is that it is a good everyday bread, not a health food. The olive oil adds about 240 kcal to the whole loaf, using USDA figures of roughly 119 kcal per tablespoon, so around 20 kcal a slice if you cut twelve. That fat is mostly monounsaturated: USDA data put olive oil at about 73% monounsaturated and 14% saturated fat, compared with roughly 62% of butter's fat being saturated, so using oil rather than butter in or on your bread is a reasonable swap. It does not turn sourdough into a treatment for anything, and it still contains wheat and gluten.
Why Sidr & Stone
In an olive oil sourdough, the oil shapes the crumb inside the loaf and is tasted almost raw in the dipping dish. That second job is where an oil's freshness and origin show, and the oil is the part of this recipe we can speak for. Sidr & Stone's extra virgin olive oil comes from one place, our own farm on the plains outside Marrakech, and we control every step from tree to bottle.
- Single-estate — Sidr & Stone grows its olives on its own family-owned farm near Marrakech, Morocco, with no blending across origins.
- Rain-fed — no irrigation; the trees take what the season gives.
- Organically grown — no synthetic fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides (not yet certified; certification is in progress).
- Single harvest — a small, limited batch, picked when the fruit is ready; once it is gone, it is gone until the next harvest.
- Cold-pressed within hours of harvest — to preserve flavour, aroma and polyphenols.
- Unfiltered extra virgin — minimally processed and never refined; a little natural sediment in the bottle is normal.
- 100% natural — one ingredient, olive oil, with nothing added.
- Dark glass with a gold label — a 500ml bottle that protects the oil from light.
- 10% of profits to charity, with fulfilment in the UK, EU, and US.
We will not tell you ours is the best olive oil for sourdough; your starter, your flour and your oven matter more to the loaf. What we will say is that it is single-estate Moroccan, rain-fed, organically grown and cold-pressed within hours of harvest, and that the product page carries the details of the current batch, so you can judge its freshness for yourself. Bake with it, then taste it properly in the dipping dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use olive oil in my sourdough bread?
Yes. Around 5–6% of the flour weight, about 27g for 450g of flour, gives a softer crust and a more tender crumb. Add it after the flour, water, starter and salt have come together, and expect a slightly less open crumb than a lean loaf.
Why do some people put olive oil in their sourdough?
For texture and keeping. The oil makes the crust thinner and softer, the crumb more tender and even, and the loaf slower to go stale, which suits sandwiches and toast. It also adds a little richness, though the oven softens most of the oil's flavour.
How much olive oil should I add to sourdough bread?
About 2–3% of the flour weight for a hint of softness with a fairly open crumb, 5–6% for a tender everyday loaf, and 8–10% for a soft, close, sandwich-style bread.
Will olive oil stop my sourdough having an open crumb?
It narrows it. Fat softens the gluten network, so the holes are smaller and more even. If an open crumb matters most to you, keep the oil at 2–3% and add it only after the dough has developed some strength.
Is Sidr & Stone's olive oil good for sourdough?
It suits both jobs: a single-estate, unfiltered extra virgin olive oil in the dough, and a fresh, characterful oil for dipping, which is where its flavour shows most. Taste it on a spoon first and decide how much of it you want to taste in the loaf.
What is the best olive oil dip for sourdough bread?
Start simply: 60ml (¼ cup) of good extra virgin olive oil, flaky salt and black pepper. Add dried oregano or za'atar, a drop of balsamic vinegar or a little fresh garlic if you like, and make it fresh for the table.
Where can I buy single-estate extra virgin olive oil?
Look for a producer that names one farm and one origin. Sidr & Stone's single-estate Marrakech oil is available to pre-order from its limited single-harvest batch, with fulfilment in the UK, EU, and US.
Is olive oil a medicine?
No. Olive oil is a food, not a medicine. It has a long traditional history — including being honoured in the Prophetic Sunnah — and a substantial body of modern research, particularly around polyphenols, cardiovascular health, and the Mediterranean diet pattern. It can be a worthwhile part of a healthy routine, but it does not cure diseases and is not a substitute for medical care. Be cautious of any olive oil marketed with specific disease-cure claims.
Final Thoughts
Olive oil sourdough is a deliberate trade: a little of lean sourdough's wild, open crumb in exchange for a softer crust, a tender slice and a loaf that keeps. Add the oil late, keep it to around 5–6% for an everyday loaf, and let a slow cold prove do the work on flavour. Then treat the oil as two ingredients: a good everyday extra virgin in the dough, and your best bottle in the dipping dish beside it.
If you want an oil with a clear origin for that dish, our Cold-Pressed Single-Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Marrakech (500ml) — single-estate, rain-fed and unfiltered — is available to pre-order as a limited single-harvest batch, with fulfilment in the UK, EU, and US.
Our extra virgin olive oil is grown organically on our own single-estate farm on the plains outside Marrakech: we control every step from tree to bottle, and no synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers are used. It is not yet certified organic — certification is in progress, and we will publish it as soon as it comes through.
Disclaimer: This article shares a home-baking recipe and general cooking information at the time of writing; starters, flours, kitchens and ovens vary, so treat times, temperatures and water amounts as starting points. Take normal care with very hot ovens and cast-iron pots. The recipe contains wheat (gluten). References to King Arthur Baking describe its published guidance and imply no affiliation or endorsement. Olive oil is a food, not a medicine, and is not a substitute for medical treatment of any condition. For any health concern, consult a qualified medical professional.