Olive Bread

At my nephew Reed’s bris, the caterer suggested adding olive bread to the menu.  It was a last minute addition, but it was such a good add.  I didn’t get his recipe, but I guessed at the ingredients and made some adjustments so it became my own:

First, make an olive tapenade.  Start by finely chopping olives.  Go with whatever kind you like for the trusty olive bar – I’m partial to the pitted mix.  To your olives, add some grated garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes.  Next, mix the tapenade with some mayo – enough to hold everything together, but you should mostly see olive bits.

Split a loaf of Italian bread in half, lenthwise, and top each side with the tapenade mayo mixture.  Then cover the whole thing with mix of three cheeses (shredded): fontina, mozzarella, and parm.

Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.  Top with fresh parsley and cut into slices. (I forgot to take pics with the parsley – use your imagination.)

The bread has a great crunch and then the saltiness from the olives takes over.  Just as your tongue is about to curl from the salt, the flavor gives way to the nuttiness of the cheese.  Get after this one.