Oh, am I EXCITED to share this recipe with you! A savoury green olive and halloumi loaf cake with all of the depth of flavour as a bread but none of the fuss. It is INCREDIBLE!
This recipe has been in development for a long time. I wanted to make a loaf cake (like my lemon and sultana cake or my Bara brith), but I wanted it to be savoury. Also, I didn’t want to faff about with yeast and rising and kneading. I wanted a dump and mix loaf cake, but with no sugar and savoury flavours.
It’s taken some time to get the perfect consistency, but we’re there! This is light, crumbly and full of Mediterranean olive and halloumi flavours.
This olive and halloumi loaf cake is amazing eaten a snack on its own (hot or cold) or spread with hummus. It would also be fantastic dunked in soup – my spinach and nutmeg soup would go well with it.
Ingredients, Substitutions and Variations
- Self raising flour and baking powder – don’t mess with these – they’re your rising agents and you need to keep these as they are to ensure that your loaf is the right consistency.
- Green olives – get olives that have already had the stones removed to make preparation easier. You could use green olives flavoured with chilli or garlic for extra flavour!
- Halloumi – I have only tested this recipe with halloumi, so I can’t recommend any substitutions for the cheese. The halloumi really holds its own here and is the perfect texture for this loaf.
- Mixed herbs – here is where you can get adventurous. You could add chilli flakes instead – this loaf could absolutely hold a bit of spice – or you could use oregano, chives or dill.
- Olive oil – please use olive oil here, the recipe does not work as well with vegetable oil.
- Eggs – 4 medium/large eggs is the perfect amount.
Cooking the savoury loaf cake – top tips.
- Cutting the halloumi and olives
Cut the halloumi and olives into small enough chunks that there are plenty spread through the loaf, but big enough that you can taste them. The image shows you the ideal size.
- Don’t over mix
Overmixing will make your loaf tough and dense. Stir just enough to combine all of the ingredients, then stop.
- Make sure it’s cooked through
To check if your loaf is cooked all the way through, insert a skewer into the centre. If it comes out clean, it’s done. If not, give the loaf another 10 minutes.
Savoury Olive and Halloumi Loaf Cake
Save This RecipeIngredients
- 250 g self-raising flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 225 g halloumi
- 150 g pitted green olives drained weight
- 1 tsp mixed herbs
- 150 ml olive oil
- 4 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Line a 1.5l loaf tin with baking parchment.
- Chop the halloumi and green olives into small chunks, about 0.5cm or smaller.
- Tip the self-raising flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the herbs, halloumi and olives. Stir.
- In a jug, beat the eggs and oil together. Pour this into the bowl and fold until combined.
- Spoon the mix into the loaf tin, smoothing the top with a spoon.
- Bake in the oven for 50 minutes until risen and golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Leave a Reply