Tag: bread

Greek Lagana Bread

Greek Lagana is a flat, sometimes oval, or rectangular shaped bread that is very traditional and it is the custom in Greece to baked it today. Today is Kathari Deftera or Clean Monday, and marks the beginning of Orthodox Lent.

But… ¯\_(”)_/¯ it’s delicious, so go ahead and bake it whenever. It’s perfect for appetizer recipes calling for crustini.

Here’s my “step-by-step” of how I made Lagana today from an adapted recipe by Greek Chef Diane Kochilas. A printable version is at the bottom of this post.

Greek Lagana Bread

First, it’s a good idea to read through the recipe, and then gather and measure all the ingredients.

Greek Lagana Bread

In a medium bowl, dissolve the yeast, sugar, and 1/4 cup of the flour in warm water. Let it stand covered for 15 minutes or until the mixture starts to foam and bubble.

Greek Lagana Bread

In another larger bowl, combine 7 cups flour with the salt. Make a well in the center with your hand and pour in the oil and the yeast mixture. Mix well with a wooden spoon until all the ingredients are combined. You might want to also use your hands.

Turn the dough out on to a counter or table dusted with flour and knead for about 10 minutes or until the dough feels smooth to the touch but not sticky.

Greek Lagana Bread

Shape the dough into a ball, brush it with oil and allow it to rise in a covered bowl for about 2 hours or until doubled in size.

Punch the dough down and knead it for another 6 or 7 minutes. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Using a rolling pin, or your hands, shape the dough out on to two lightly oiled, or parchment lined, baking sheets into flat ovals about 15 inches long and about 6 inches wide.

Greek Lagana Bread

Brush with oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and allow it to rise again until your finger poked in the bread leaves an indentation without springing back.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees during the final rise.

Using your index finger, poke holes across the surface of the bread (about every 2 inches). Bake for 15 – 20 minutes.

Remove and place on a rack to cool.

Greek Lagana Bread

Oh, how I love the smell of just baked bread.

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Greek Lagana Bread
 
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Clean Monday marks the beginning of Orthodox Lent. Greek Lagana is a flat, oval shaped bread that is a very traditional and to be baked only on this day. This recipe is adapted from "The Food and Wine of Greece" by Diane Kochillas
Author:
Recipe type: Baking bread
Cuisine: Greek
Serves: 2 loaves
Ingredients
  • 3 envelopes active dry yeast
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 7 to 8 cups bread flour
  • 2¼ cups warm water
  • 1 tbsp. salt
  • 5 tbsp. vegetable oil
  • Sesame seeds for sprinkling
Instructions
  1. In a medium work bowl, dissolve the yeast, sugar, and ¼ cup of the flour in the warm water.
  2. Let stand covered for 15 minutes or until the mixture starts to foam and bubble.
  3. In a large work bowl, combine 7 cups flour with the salt.
  4. Make a well in the center with your hand and pour in the oil and the yeast mixture.
  5. Mix well with a wooden spoon until all the ingredients are combined.
  6. Turn dough out on to a counter or table dusted with flour and knead for about 10 minutes or until the dough feels smooth to the touch but not sticky.
  7. Shape the dough into a ball, brush it with oil and allow it to rise in a covered bowl for about 2 hours or until doubled in size.
  8. Punch the dough down and knead it for another 6 or 7 minutes. Shape it into 2 equal loaves. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out on to two lightly oiled baking sheets into flat ovals about 15 inches long and about 6 inches wide.
  9. Brush with oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and allow to proof (rise) again until a finger poked in the bread leaves an indentation without springing back. Preheat oven to 450 degrees during the final rise.
  10. Using your index finger, poke holes across the surface of the bread (about every 2 inches). Bake for 15 – 20 minutes
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Want to read my other posts about Lenten foods? Here are a few:

 

 

Bread: Part 3 – Tassajara Yeasted

Today I made bread for the first time following the Tassajara Yeasted Bread recipe. My last two posts have also been about the preparation of this event.

I made the bread without a mixer, or a bread machine, using just a bowl, a spoon and my hands. Oh… and a couple of bread pans and a hot oven.

Tassajara Bread spongethe important sponge

Tassajara Bread add salt & oil salt and oil added

Tassajara Bread add flour

with flour

Tassajara Bread rise 1

kneaded and set to rise

Tassajara Bread risen 45 min

risen after 45 minutes

Tassajara Bread punched down

then punched down

Tassajara Bread 2nd rise 45 min

only to rise again after 45 minutes

Tassajara Bread ready for the oven

then kneaded and ready for the oven

Tassajara Bread baked

baked bread

Tassajara Bread slice

sliced

Tassajara Bread slice

the contentment of success

“The food will taste better when the cook is joyful.” Edward Espe Brown

Bread: Part 2 – From the beginning

Ten days ago I shared my desire to bake bread. Here’s my progress so far. I’ve begun reading The Tassajara Bread Book that arrived from Amazon. The Tassajara Bread Book is written by Edward Espe Brown, a Soto Zen Buddhist priest, teacher and chef.  His website is The Peaceful Sea Sangha and he has a Facebook page.

The Tassajara Bread Book

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I bought the basic ingredients for making Tassajara Yeasted bread. I went shopping at Restaurant Depot for kitchen supplies. I purchased two bread pans and a new board.pans & board
The Tassajara Yeasted Bread recipe is the basis for all the other recipes in the book, so it seems like the right place to start. The Washington Post calls The Tassajara Bread Book the “The Bible of bread baking”. I’m hoping to have a religious experience.

 

Bread

I want to learn to make bread. I want to learn to  make it without even thinking. I want it to be effortless. I want it to be delicious…

I want I want I want I want I want… also there is no Greek angle on this post, but I have been thinking about this for a long time. Time to get into action.

Here’s my first step toward this desire: The Tassajara Bread Book by Edward Espe Brown. I need to buy this book. I learned about this book because I watch a lot of documentaries. This is one of my favorites and how I learned about the book.

I’ll keep you posted (ha! double meaning) on my progress…