Bread Dipping Oil

Bread Dipping Oil, is a dipping sauce made of extra virgin olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, and fresh garlic. You can use this dipping oil for bread, as cooking oil, in a chicken marinade, brushed over pizza crust, or Naan bread and it keeps long! This olive oil bread dip is rich in savory flavor and pungent garlic! It’s an olive oil dip recipe with many purposes.

 

We love dips! Whether it’s buffalo chicken dip dipped with crackers, our delicious spinach dip, or crab dip recipe we have dip recipes and appetizers for you! However, this olive oil dip for bread has way more other purposes than most typical dip recipes.

What Is Bread Dipping Oil?

Bread dipped in Olive Oil, is a sauce mainly of olive oil and herbs that some Italian restaurants serve as a complimentary appetizer (like Carrabba Grill.) Greek dipping oil is infused with lemony dill flavors whereas Italians like the aromatic spices found mostly in Italian seasonings like Rosemary, thyme, and oregano. Fresh garlic takes this oil dip for bread, to the next level!

It’s not only a dipping oil but an all-purpose oil sauce that can be used for grilled meat, flavoring pizza crust, brushed over pita bread, or naan! I have this sauce sitting by my stove for a standby olive oil infused with savory herbs! It will quickly become a favorite, for all its uses! You can use it as the oil for your salad dressing and so much more! There are a few rules for exceptional taste, and that is to invest in good-quality extra virgin olive oil! I mean it is the base of this sauce so we need to layer it right.

Best Olive Oil for Dipping Bread:

Premium extra virgin olive oil of 0.8% acidity or less is the most superior in flavor. The top three olive oil-producing countries in the world are Spain, Greece, and Italy, so, look for products imported from those regions. Popular cultivator varieties are the Koroneiki olive, Montabes olives, and Hojiblanca olives. The color and taste will depend on the variety of olives, some are green and come in different aromas of fruity or more herby flavors. My favorite kind is the PEZA Extra Virgin Olive Oil from a family-owned Cretan Mill by the Almpantakis family in Greece. It’s cold extracted and is so fresh and rich in flavor. You’ll want to store olive oil in a cool dark place for the best flavor and freshness.

The Best Bread for Dipping in Oil:

The best kind of bread for dipping in oil is a chewy and crusty loaf that won’t absorb liquid as quickly. You want the bread to soak up all that savory liquid slowly, so briefly dip the bread into the olive oil dip. Dunking the bread into the oil more than once will soften the bread so eat to your preferred dipping stage. Our favorite bread for this dipping oil recipe is this crusty No-Knead Bread or Focaccia bread. Another good choice would be this Italian bread or French Bread Baguettes!

Ingredients Needed:

Why buy dipping oil for bread if you can make it at home, easy?! All you need is some good-quality olive oil and some simple spices. I like to buy this non-GMO Italian Seasoning Mix that is kosher and aromatic! Use your favorite blend of Italian herbs for the spices!

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil- I prefer a single variety of cold-extracted olives in my olive oil. The PEZA EVOO is by far the most superior-tasting olive oil that I’ve tried! It’s 0.5% acidity and is a vibrant green shade. I’m sure there are even better varieties so, look for lower acidity.
• Italian Seasoning- is basically a blend of Basil, Garlic, Onion, Marjoram, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, Savory, and Thyme. Make your blend of spices by mixing an even amount of all these spices and then using the amount directed in the recipe.
• Garlic- only fresh garlic, please. I add a generous amount here for incredibly tasting dipping oil. It has to be fresh not the garlic in a jar. You will see what I mean after you crush the fresh garlic cloves in.
• Salt- will flavor and mellow out some of the bitterness.

How To Make an Olive Oil Dip for Bread:

Homemade bread dipping oil is so easy and simple to make! I will mix the olive oil mixture together right in the tall glass container and keep it covered with a lid for freshness. I like clear food containers for this, as I can see any sediments, and give the herbs in oil a good stir before using. Here is how to season oil for dipping bread!

1. Measure out the olive oil and pour it into a food storage container.
2. Add the Italian seasoning, salt, and crushed garlic.
3. Whisk all the spices well into the oil.
4. Cover with an air-tight lid and keep in a dark cool spot. I like to keep mine on the counter so I know to use it when I see it.
5. Dip bread with oil dip or brush it over your favorite food for enhanced flavors!

Storing Dipping Oil:

Once prepared, this olive oil dipping sauce can keep for months! It can keep easily for up to 3 months. As long as the herbs and garlic are submerged in olive oil they will preserve for months. Just keep the garlic replenished with olive oil (it may be time to make another batch if your running low.) It’s also a good idea to invest in an air-tight glass oil container for maximum freshness. Always give the olive oil a good stir before using, as the herb settlements tend to drop to the very bottom. You can also keep this in a plastic squeeze bottle for easy use in marinades or salad dressings.

Olive Oil Spice Variations:

Wondering what to put in olive oil for dipping? There are so many different spices and variations to season olive oil! What to add is really what goes with your taste buds! Here are some ideas for what spices go in olive oil depending on the flavor palette you are going for.

• Greek Dipping Oil- mix 1 tsp of dried oregano, dill, and vinegar. Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese when dipping with bread.
• Mediterranean Dipping Oil- add 1 tsp of dried oregano, basil, and red chili flakes for the Italian seasoning
• Spicy Dipping Oil- add an additional 3/4 tsp of red chili flakes and 1 1/2 tsp of ground black pepper to the dipping oil recipe.
• Spanish Dipping Oil-  add 12 minced olives, 2 Tbsp cilantro, 2 springs of rosemary, and 3/4 tsp red chili flakes for the Italian seasoning.
• Oil and Vinegar Bread Dip- omit the Italian seasoning and add 1 tsp of dried thyme, oregano, and black pepper. Add 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar or vinegar of choice. This is great as a salad dressing or sandwich for its extra acidity.

Note: sprinkle freshly grated parmesan over any dipping oil variation for good flavor. Also, if adding cheeses or olives the dipping oil should be stored in the fridge and kept for up to 5 days.

Creative Ways to Use Dipping Oil (Not Only For Bread):

This olive oil dipping sauce is not only for bread! Use this oil dip recipe for sauteing vegetables, or mix it with some red wine vinegar to make a wonderful salad dressing or sub sandwich! There are so many good uses for this olive oil dipping sauce!

• Drizzle over healthy salads as a salad dressing (add a splash or two of your favorite sweet vinegar!)
• Complete your sub sandwich with it.
• Marinate meat or poultry with it. Toss with cooked shrimp and freshly squeezed lemon!
• Brush over homemade Naan bread or Pita Bread. Or use it as a bread dipping sauce with your favorite bread!
• Use it as flavorful cooking oil or brush over this pizza crust! It would be great on breadsticks or dinner rolls!
• Drizzle over grilled steaks as the finishing sauce.

Let us know what foods you have been using it on, in the comments below!

More Sauces and Dip Recipes To Try:

Looking for something beyond this simple olive oil bread dip? We have dips and more for you to try!

• Pretzel Dip (Cheeseball)
• Chipotle Sauce (Panera Copycat)
• Zaxby Honey Mustard Sauce
• Canned Marinara Sauce

How To Make Bread Dipping Oil: