Savoury Quick Loaf a Ham and Olive Cake
Appetizer · Ashley Tinker · Breads · Provencal Recipes · TasteThis savoury quick loaf of Ham and Olive Cake is a great snack or pre-dinner bite. It’s often enjoyed by kids here in France when they get home from school for their goûter. In French, this is called Cake aux Olives et Jambon – yes, they use the English word “cake.”
This quick loaf recipe takes one (1) hour, 15 minutes of preparation and 45 minutes of cooking time. Sweet quick bread recipes often include a fruit or vegetable base, think banana, pumpkin, zucchini. These are, of course delicious and perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.

Savoury Ham and Olive Loaf - Cake aux Olives et Jambon
This recipe is simple and very forgiving. For example, you can add a little less flour and another egg instead, or add a little more cheese. Once you have the base you can make a vegetarian version with fresh goat cheese, semi-dried tomatoes and lots of thyme. Play with it to make it yours!
Ingredients
- 200 g (7oz) All Purpose Flour
- 1 sachet dry yeast
- 3 eggs free-range
- large pinch salt
- Ground Pepper be generous
- 1 large tbsp Dijon mustard
- 100 ml (3.4oz) olive oil
- 100 ml (3.4oz) milk semi-skimmed, 2%
- 150 g (5.5oz) Gruyère cheese or Comte, grated
- 200 g (7oz) ham hock diced
- 150 g (5.5oz) green olives sliced
- butter for greasing the pan
Notes
Eat this bread as an appetizer as savoury snack or nibble with a glass of rosé. Head to the Curious Provence website for the instructions on how to make this savoury ham and olive loaf.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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2 Comments
The article says the quick breads don’t require yeast but then the recipe you print includes yeast!
Hello Ami, thank you for asking for clarification on Ashley’s recipe. This recipe does call for instant yeast (not active yeast). Instant yeast doesn’t have to be proofed first; it can be mixed straight into the dry ingredients.