Cooking with olive oil is already well known around the globe, but what about baking with olive oil? In the mediterranean area it has been a thing for centuries. It is true that traditional baking in the Mediterranean area revolves around pies and pitas, but in this article we have some good news for when the supporters of healthy nutrition have a sweet tooth.
Can I use Olive Oil for baking?
Yes, you definitely can use olive oil for traditional pastry baking. When we started the miaelia project we didn’t just get into olive oil making. Extra virgin olive oil is a real thing in Greece. There is not a single home in Greece without a bottle of olive oil. There is not a single meal where olive oil is not used. We even use olive oil for home treatments and home beauty routines, so why baking would be a problem? It definitely isn’t. In our home in Mytilene, we did use olive oil for every kind of cooking and baking since forever. My mother was the one that made miaelia olive oil a part of our family life, before the miaelia concept was born. Now, we are more that happy to share this part of our family with you.
Why baking with Olive Oil is better?
You definitely have heard a lot about the benefits of olive oil. It is all true! It is not only about lighter cooking, but healthier indeed. The benefits are numerous for people in all age groups, following various lifestyles. Yet, we are not in it only for the health benefits. Of course, we want to eat something tasty. Olive oil naturally adds up to the flavour and the quality of it is an important factor as well. Miaelia olive oil is perfect for baking not only for the sake of flavour but also for the upgrade of your baked goods texture. So why wait? Take the advantage and use it in baking too! Today we will see how you can do that while maintaining the ultimate result considering taste and texture.
How to substitute butter for Olive Oil in baking
Extra virgin olive oil works as a substitute for butter perfect for people concerned with their eating habits or for making vegan alternatives. But how to make it, you know, right? You don’t want that favourite cake of yours to collapse right after to take it out of the oven. Here is how! Use three parts olive oil to every four parts butter, that means for every 1 cup of butter use just the 3/4 of the cup for olive oil. The 1:1 ratio isn’t possible and it will simply make the recipe turn out way too greasy and oily. (This is what you DON’T want).
Either you are baking treats, cooking family meals or preparing quick meals make sure you always take care of your flavour and just adopt an olive tree that is already waiting for you in our grove.