Savory Gruyere-Olive Bread

This bread is easy, easy, easy. The mayonnaise still tastes pretty strong after baking, so use greek yogurt in place of it if you'd prefer.

The bread is great because it’s soft enough to melt in your mouth but firm enough to toast (seriously - put it in the toaster!). It is near perfect, but for me, the mayonnaise was a turn-off. I thought the mayonnaise taste would disappear after baking but it didn’t. So, if you’re anti-mayonnaise, just use Greek yogurt. If you’re pro-mayonnaise, then have at it. 

Adjustments: use green olives instead of kalamata; mix in a handful of roughly chopped herbs (parsley, thyme, dill, sage) with the Gruyere and olives; use whatever hard cheese you have on hand instead of going out and buying Gruyere

Recipe from Melissa Clark

Ingredients

Olive oil, for greasing pan
1 3/4 cups/210 grams all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup/170 grams mayonnaise
1 large egg
1/3 cup/79 milliliters milk
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
3 tablespoons pitted, chopped kalamata olives

Preparation

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, egg and milk. Fold the wet mixture into the dry until just combined. Fold in the cheese and olives.

Scrape the batter into the loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake until golden and firm, 40 minutes. Let bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and over turn onto a wire rack. Cool 20 minutes before slicing and serving.