This post is sponsored by ‘Olives From Spain’

I don’t know if you have noticed, but my baking over the last few months has taken on a very specific feel. I’ve found myself turning to memories of holidays past to make up for our current situation, baking my way around the world in an attempt to recreate happy memories of holidays gone by. This recipe, however, is related to a holiday that never was. Earlier this year I was supposed to be visiting Madrid for the first time, but unsurprisingly it was cancelled. It was supposed to be a week of tapas, a week of sherry, basically a week of the best food and drink Spain could offer up. To give me some Spanish flavour right here in the UK, I decided to work on something full of Spanish ingredients, something to conjure up an idea of what that trip might have offered. I wanted to make something to highlight and compliment the flavours of Spanish Olives. I had in my kitchen some beautiful Spanish Manzanilla and Goral Olives, and a romesco style sauce seemed like a good pairing. The green Manzanilla olives have a really balanced taste with a delicate flavour, not too bitter or too salty. The green Gordal lives have a similar profile but they are firm and meaty in texture. Pairing those varieties with the the tangy romesco sauce seemed like a great way to show off those flavours and of course, the addition of a little manchego also helped the whole thing along. 

The recipe isn’t a classic Spanish idea but it uses the flavours and ingredients of the country in a style of baking I love. Romesco is sauce that is traditionally made from tomatoes, toasted nuts (a mix of almonds and hazelnuts is most common), garlic and small dried Nora peppers. For the version in this recipe I made a romesco-ish sauce, using the ingredients I most often have on hand, so it’s definitely not a traditional version but a nice option to whip up at home with ingredients you may already have on hand. 

Bread Dough
500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting 
25g caster sugar 
1 teaspoon fine sea salt 
7g fast-action dried yeast 
250ml whole milk 
2 large eggs 
100g unsalted butter, room temperature, plus extra for glazing  

Romesco and Olive Filling
125g Spanish Green Manzanilla Olives
125g Spanish Green Gordal Olives
50g flaked almonds, toasted
1 roasted red peppers (jarred variety is fine)
2 large tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 small handful of flat leaf parsley, plus a little extra for decoration 
1 tsp smoked paprika
Pinch of chilli flakes
25ml extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
125g Manchego cheese, grated

For the bread dough add the flour, sugar, salt and yeast to the bowl of an electric stand mixer with the dough hook attachment and mix briefly to combine. Add the milk and eggs and knead on medium-low speed for about 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, elastic and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. With the mixer still running, add the butter, a little bit at a time. Once the butter has been worked into the dough, continue kneading for a further 10 minutes or so until the dough is once again pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate overnight or for up to 2 days. If you prefer, you can let the dough rise at room temperature, but it’s worth making this in advance as the dough is much easier to handle when thoroughly chilled.

The next day, lightly grease or line the base of a 9x13 baking tin with a piece of parchment paper. 

For the filling roughly chop the larger Spanish Gordal Olives and halve the smaller Spanish Manzanilla Olives, setting aside for the moment. For the romesco sauce, place all of the remaining ingredients except the cheese into a food processor and process until a smooth sauce is formed. 

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and, working on a lightly floured surface, roll out into a large 40 x 50cm rectangle. Spread the romesco sauce evenly over the dough and sprinkle over the olives and the cheese, gently pressing into the romesco sauce. Roll the dough up, along the long edge, into a tight sausage. Use a serrated knife to cut into 12 equal sized pieces. Place the buns into the prepared baking tin and cover with clingfilm, setting aside for about an hour or so until the buns have almost doubled in size.

Meanwhile preheat the oven to 190C (160C Fan). Once proofed, bake in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. 

Remove the buns from the oven and allow to cool. When at room temperature brush with a little extra melted butter and scatter over the extra parsley.  

Kept in a sealed container the buns will keep for a couple days, or can be frozen for up to a month.