Olive bread is the perfect savoury bread when you want to lift your everyday meals up a notch without spending hours in the kitchen. With juicy black olives, dried rosemary and a hint of garlic, you get a fragrant Mediterranean-inspired bread that can both stand alone as a snack and work as a side for everything from soups to grilled dishes.
Advertisement: The page displays ads and contains advertising links (affiliate links). See our advertisers here.
The clever part is that you can bake the whole loaf in your air fryer in under half an hour of active time. You avoid heating up the big oven, and the result is a bread with a crisp crust and an airy crumb — exactly as you know it from a good Italian bakery.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Table of Contents:
Why I love olive bread in the air fryer
Homemade bread can seem like something that takes the whole afternoon, but this is a recipe I reach for when I need bread for dinner without planning a full day of baking. The richness of the olive oil keeps the crumb juicy, and the olives and herbs give flavour from the very first bite — with no need for either toppings or dipping.
The air fryer is surprisingly well suited to smaller savoury loaves. The concentrated hot air creates an even crust all the way around, and because the space is smaller than a regular oven, the bread turns golden faster without drying out inside.
The difference between the air fryer and a regular oven
In a regular oven you typically have to bake a similar bread for 25-30 minutes at 200 °C, and you have to wait for the oven to preheat. In the air fryer the preheating is down to two or three minutes, and the baking time drops to 18-22 minutes at 175 °C. There is also something to be gained energy-wise if you only bake one loaf at a time.
My kitchen test of olive bread in the air fryer
I have tested the recipe in my Cosori Dual Blaze and got the best result at 175 °C convection for 18-22 minutes, depending on how large the bread is shaped. A slightly lower temperature than for classic rolls — that gives the crumb time to bake through before the crust burns. If you tap the underside after 20 minutes, you can hear whether the bread is done: a hollow, slightly resonant sound means it is ready.
In my Philips XXL the same temperature gave a slightly darker crust, so here I cut the time down to 16-18 minutes. The difference lies in the size of the basket and the distance to the heating element — shorter distance, more direct heat.
If you bake the bread on a piece of baking paper, you avoid both the cleaning and the risk of the crumb getting stuck in the basket’s perforated pattern.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The classic mistake is using water that is too hot for the yeast — above 40 °C kills the yeast cells, and the dough will not rise. Check the water with your finger: it should feel lukewarm, not hot. Another pitfall is pouring all the olives in together with the flour from the start; that makes the dough sticky and difficult to knead. So fold in the olives, garlic and rosemary only after the dough has risen the first time. Finally, the bread can turn dry if you bake it too long — aim for a golden-brown crust and a hollow sound when you tap the underside, and take it out as soon as the criteria are met.
How to serve olive bread from the air fryer
Olive bread is versatile and suits both everyday meals and guests. Here are some of my favourite combinations:
- As a side for an Italian-inspired tomato soup or minestrone
- Warm with good olive oil and balsamic for dipping as a starter
- Cut into thin slices for a cheese and charcuterie board
- As a base for bruschetta with fresh tomatoes and basil
- With a green salad with parmesan, where the bread soaks up the dressing
Storage and reheating
The bread keeps best at room temperature in an airtight bag for up to two days — after that move it to the fridge, where it keeps for another three to four days. I prefer to reheat it in the air fryer at 160 °C for 3-5 minutes; that makes the crust crisp again, just like when the bread first came out of the basket. If you want to freeze it, it keeps for up to two months packed in a freezer bag.
With a homemade olive bread from the air fryer you can lift even the most everyday dinner to Mediterranean standard in under two hours. The crumb is juicy, the crust is crisp, and the aroma fills the whole kitchen. Find the recipe itself just below.
FAQ
Yes, that works fine. Green olives have a slightly sharper flavour, so reduce the amount to 75 g if you prefer a more subdued olive flavour.
The bread is designed for an air fryer basket of at least 5 litres. If you have a smaller model, you can divide the dough into two smaller loaves and bake them one after the other at the same temperature, but only 14-16 minutes per loaf.
Yes, use 25 g fresh yeast. Crumble it into the lukewarm water and stir it in before you mix the liquid with flour and the rest of the dry ingredients.
Recipe
Olive bread in the air fryer
Cooking Guide
Keep the screen on and follow the recipe step by step while you cook.
Step 1:
Avoid the screen turning off while you cook.
Step 2:
Start the guide and follow the recipe one step at a time.
Cost of the dish
Prices may vary depending on where you shop.
Our estimate is based on average food prices for the current year 2026.
Estimated price for the whole dish:
Airfryer size
All our recipes are tested in a Philips Airfryer 2000 Series NA230/00 – 6.2 L
Does the recipe fit my Airfryer?
If you’re unsure, you can always reduce by one serving in the recipe, or click the 0.5x button.
You can also Ask the AI Chef
It’s easy! Just press the Ask the AI Chef button you see at the bottom.
Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Mixing bowl - Large
- 1 Bagepapir til airfryer
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
Shopping list
Ingredients
Dough
- 250 g plain flour (Plus a little extra for kneading)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 7 g dried yeast (Equivalent to 1 sachet)
- 175 ml lukewarm water (About 37 °C)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Flavouring
- 100 g black olives (Pitted and roughly chopped)
- 1 tsp dried rosemary (Or 1 tbsp freshly chopped)
- 1 clove garlic (Finely chopped)
Topping
- 1 tbsp olive oil (For brushing)
- 1 knivspids flaky sea salt (Optional)
How to make it
Preparation
- Mix 250 g plain flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar and 7 g dried yeast in a large mixing bowl.
- Add 175 ml lukewarm water and 2 tbsp olive oil. Bring the dough together and knead it for 5-7 minutes on a lightly floured surface until it is smooth and elastic.
- Shape the dough into a ball, place it back in the bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Leave to rise in a warm place for about 60 minutes, until the dough has doubled in size.
- Knock back the dough. Gently fold the chopped 100 g black olives, 1 tsp dried rosemary and 1 clove garlic into the dough so the flavour is distributed evenly.
- Shape the dough into an oblong loaf that fits in your air fryer basket. Place the bread on a piece of baking paper and leave to prove for 15 minutes.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 175 °C convection.
- Brush the bread with 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with 1 knivspids flaky sea salt if you like. Score 2-3 light slashes on top with a sharp knife.
- Place the bread with the baking paper in the air fryer basket and bake for 18-22 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when you tap the underside.
Serving
- Take the bread out and let it rest on a rack for at least 10 minutes before you cut it. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Our notes for the recipe
Make sure the water is lukewarm and not hot — too high a temperature kills the yeast, and the dough will not rise. Always check whether the bread is done by tapping the underside: a hollow sound means the bread is baked through. Variation:
Swap the black olives for green ones, or add 50 g sun-dried tomatoes and a little feta for a Mediterranean-inspired bread. Fresh herbs like thyme or oregano also work well instead of rosemary. Serving:
Serve warm with good olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping, or as a side for soups, salads, grilled dishes and cheese boards. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can divide the dough into two smaller loaves and bake them one after the other — in that case reduce the baking time to 14-16 minutes per loaf.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
Easily share the recipe with others:
Via email or on Facebook
Open the recipe on your phone
Scan the QR code with your phone and get the recipe directly on your mobile while you cook.
Author
Airfryerkogebogen.dk
