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Baking recipe · from the recipe book

Olive Rosemary Oat Walnut Sourdough Boule

A focaccia-inspired boule with a crackly, oil-glossed crust, a moist, nutty oat-porridge crumb, and pockets of briny olives, toasted walnuts and rosemary.

Olive Rosemary Oat Walnut Sourdough Boule

Ingredients

  • 3½ oz100 gActive sourdough starter (100% hydration)fed 4 to 6 hours ahead, at its peak
  • 3¼ cups430 gBread flour
  • 1¾ cups440 gWaterlukewarm, divided
  • ¾ cup70 gOld-fashioned rolled oatsdivided
  • ⅔ cup chopped80 gWalnutstoasted and roughly chopped
  • 14 large olives60 gBlack olives, cannedpatted dry and halved
  • 2 tbsp25 gOlive oildivided
  • 2½ tsp3 gDried rosemarycrumbled
  • 1¾ tsp10 gSalt

Steps

  1. The morning of mixing, feed the sourdough starter equal weights of flour and water and leave it at about 75°F (24°C) for 4 to 6 hours, until doubled, domed and bubbly; this peak is when you use it.
  2. While the starter rises, make the oat soaker: pour about one third of the water, boiling, over 60 g of the oats (all but a small handful kept for the crust) and let it cool to room temperature.
  3. Toast the walnuts in a dry pan for 4 to 5 minutes until fragrant, cool, then chop; pat the olives dry and halve them.
  4. For the autolyse, mix the bread flour with about 300 g of the remaining water until no dry flour remains; cover and rest 45 minutes. Keep the last splash of water for the salt.
  5. Add the sourdough starter to the dough and squeeze it in. Sprinkle on the salt with the reserved splash of water and pinch until the dough comes back together. The dough is about 73% hydration and 2% salt, with the oat soaker adding moisture on top.
  6. Bulk rise at about 75°F (24°C) for 4 to 5 hours. After 30 minutes, add the oat soaker, half the olive oil and the rosemary with the first set of stretch-and-folds. After another 30 minutes, add the walnuts and olives with the second set. Do 2 more sets 30 minutes apart, then leave the dough covered until it has risen about 50%, looks domed and jiggles.
  7. Turn the dough out, pre-shape it into a round and rest 20 minutes. Shape a tight boule, brush the top lightly with some of the remaining olive oil, roll it in the reserved oats and set it seam-side up in a floured basket or towel-lined bowl.
  8. Cover and cold proof in the fridge overnight, 12 to 14 hours.
  9. Place a Dutch oven with its lid in the oven and preheat to 475°F (245°C) for 45 minutes.
  10. Turn the cold dough onto parchment, score it, and lower it into the hot Dutch oven. Bake covered for 20 minutes, then uncover, lower to 450°F (230°C) and bake 22 to 25 minutes more until deep brown and crisp, about 205°F (96°C) in the center.
  11. Brush the hot crust with the last of the olive oil for a focaccia-style sheen. Cool on a rack at least 2 hours before cutting into 12 slices.

Food safety: Don't taste raw dough or batter: raw flour and raw eggs can carry germs.

Contains: Tree nuts, Gluten.

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Saved in the Every Helping recipe book on October 24, 2026.

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