How to Use Olive Oil with Bread

Dip, Dunk, Baste and Combine

Linda StCyr
Once described as "liquid gold" by history's Homer, Olive Oil has made a name for itself. It has been rubbed on athletes, mixed with herbs for cosmetics and blended with natural ingredients for medicinal benefits. Olive oil is healthier than vegetable oil and it tastes great with numerous foods. But how can you use olive oil with bread? The answer is simple.

Dip, dunk, baste or combine. Olive oil pairs well with numerous types of bread. Almost any type of bread you can think of from rye's to pumpernickel or white Italian bread to a long length of crusty French bread. Any bread can be delicious with a little help from olive oil.

Dipping and dunking bread into olive oil is the most fun of the ways to use olive oil with bread. Place a generous amount of olive oil in small bowls near each bread plate. Place bread of choice on bread plate. Slice bread or break off pieces to dip and dunk. You can choose the amount of flavor by dipping quickly or dunking so the bread comes up sopping. Your taste buds will love the flavor.

Basting bread is another great way to use olive oil. You can use a loaf of Italian or French bread unsliced or any loaf of bread, white breads are best for basting. Slice the loaf in half, smear on a generous amount of olive oil, add Italian herbs or an herb of your choice, and bake for 5-7 minutes in an oven preheated to 350 degrees. This bread works well with numerous dinner dishes but it also stands alone very well.

Bread sticks glazed with olive oil make a crispy treat for family members of all ages. Try this simple pleaser to give your taste buds a treat. Using refrigerated Pillsbury biscuit dough take each biscuit and roll between your palms to make a long length of dough. Place each rolled out dough form on your baking sheet, glaze each length with olive oil, and sprinkle garlic salt on each piece. Bake according to instructions on can. Everyone in your home will love this treat.

Olive oil is also wonderful to use in creating bread. Mix it into your dough base to infuse your loaf with flavor. You can also mix olive oil with herbs to create a great dipping sauce with extra kick for your bread.

Using olive oil with bread is very simple. Please your mouth and your appetite by dipping, dunking, basting or combining olive oil with your bread recipes today. Olive oil can be used for many purposes and food is only one of them. It is and always will be liquid gold.

Published by Linda StCyr

Linda St.Cyr has been a featured contributor for Associated Content from Yahoo!, she is the author of several short stories including the story "Leaving" published in the anthology collection, Elements of Ti...  View profile

10 Comments

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  • Vincent Summers3/25/2010

    I love olive oil. Started to slip and say Olive Oyl. Yeah, right! The Italians who came to the US were noted for healthy hearts -- until the locals taught them the "virtues" of butter. Now they're just as sick as all the rest of us!

  • Sylvia Cochran3/6/2010

    I love "dipping and dunking bread into olive oil" ...

  • Sheryl Young1/22/2010

    Mmmm....good stuff. Add a little Balsamic vinegar and Italian seasonings.

  • Kathy Minicozzi1/21/2010

    I love olive oil and I love bread. Obviously, this is a marriage made in heaven.

  • Mary Kirkland1/16/2010

    I've never dunked my bread in olive oil, I'm afraid of how it will taste. But my hubby keeps telling me that it's good. Maybe I'll try it.

  • Jan Corn1/16/2010

    I like the special flavor Olive oil adds to bread. Thanks for this article, Linda.

  • Julia Bodeeb1/6/2010

    I never used Olive oil growing up, but now I like it. Will have to try some of these ideas

  • Lady Samantha12/29/2009

    I love olive oil! I love bread! Problem is I am now going to eat your article!

  • Brenda Vincent12/21/2009

    It never occured to me to use olive oil instead of butter on my garlic bread. It would be healthier. Naaaah, wouldn't be the same w/out a slab of buttah!

  • Michael Segers12/21/2009

    I grew up without olive oil, but now, I can't imagine life without it. Thanks for some good ideas.

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