The first lockdown saw everyone (and I mean everyone!) bake the humble Banana Loaf. This lockdown I thought I’d step it up a notch and bake a Rosemary & Olive Loaf. A word of warning: this loaf is rather heavy and not your day-to-day bread.
Baking has become a weekend activity for us, its helping bring us together and really make the days off feel relaxed. I saw a post on Instagram the other day which said that the weekends are starting to feel like 30 minute lunch breaks and I can’t agree more!
Personally, I’d pair this loaf with what I like to call ‘Carpet Tea’ – the Sunday dinner where you take everything left in the kitchen; cheese, crackers, olives, hummus, cucumber etc, and pop it on a tray and everyone helps themselves. A nice red wine never goes a miss with Carpet Tea!

20 minutes to prepare & 50 minutes to cook
- 200g gluten-free bread flour – I recommend Dove Farm’s Bread flours!
- 300ml buttermilk
- 3 free range eggs
- 30g olives – black or green
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp gluten-free baking powder
- 1 tsp chopped rosemary leaves
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- Firstly, heat the oven to 180C. Add the flour, baking powder & a tbsp of salt into a bowl. Then add the buttermilk, eggs – lightly beaten & oil and beat.
- Once smooth add the olives, rosemary & the parmesan. Line a loaf tin with baking paper and pour in the mixture. Bake for 50 minutes until a knife through the middle comes out clean.