Greek Bread Recipe (Horiatiko Psomi)
User Reviews
5
Greek Bread Recipe (Horiatiko Psomi)
Description
The Greek Bread Recipe (Horiatiko Psomi) features a blend of bread flour, rye flour, and semolina flour, combined with dried yeast, sugar, salt, and water to form a shaggy dough. The dough undergoes a series of rested pulls and folds every 15 minutes, promoting gluten development without traditional kneading techniques. After resting covered in plastic wrap for up to 24 hours, the dough is shaped into a round loaf and left to proof before baking. This gradual fermentation enhances flavor complexity and texture.
The preparation relies on a hands-on feel for the dough, emphasizing manual folding over mechanical mixing. Baking is ideally done in an oven-safe pot like a Dutch oven to trap steam, encouraging a crispy crust and moist interior. Alternatively, the dough can be baked on a parchment-lined baking sheet at high heat until browned. Doneness is tested by a hollow sound when tapping the bread's bottom.
This bread pairs well with a variety of foods, from simple spreads to hearty meals. Its dense yet tender crumb makes it suitable for dipping, sandwiches, or alongside soups and stews. The recipe adapts well to different flours depending on availability, and the slow fermentation lends a mild tang that adds depth to the bread's flavor.
Resting the dough is crucial to achieve the desired texture and to ease shaping. Cooling the dough to room temperature after refrigeration is recommended before baking to ensure optimal rise and crust development. Using minimal flour on the work surface during shaping prevents a tough crust but allows sufficient grip.
Ingredients
- 200 grams bread flour (see note 1)
- 100 grams rye flour (see note 2)
- 100 grams semolina flour (see note 3)
- 2 grams dried yeast the instant type
- 1 tsp sugar granulated
- 300 ml water tepid or lukewarm
Instructions
- Combine the bread flour, rye flour, semolina, dried yeast, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. (see note 4)
- Gradually add the water to the flour and yeast mixture and stir until you have a shaggy, rough dough.
- Cover with a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes.
- Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gradually pull the dough from the sides of the bowl to the centre.
- Cover again, let it rest for fifteen minutes and repeat this step three more times.
- Cover the dough in plastic wrap (cling film) and leave the dough to rise for 4 - 24 hours. (see note 5)
- Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly floured surface, gently knead it, and stretch it to resemble a rectangle. (see note 6)
- With the longer edge facing you, fold the longer sides into the centre and the shorter ends into the centre (repeat this step twice).
- Using your hands, shape the dough into a round ball.
- Place the dough ball into a bowl lined with a clean towel. Cover and let it rest for a second time until it doubles in size. (this could take anywhere between 60-90 minutes).
- Preheat your oven to 230°C (450°F) and place an oven-safe pot with a lid to heat up for 30 minutes. A Dutch oven is perfect for this recipe! (see notes 7&8)
- Remove the preheated Dutch oven and place the dough into it. You can score at the top if you like. Place the lid back on and bake for 30 minutes.
- Very carefully remove the lid ( you will notice the bread is partially baked and pale in colour - don't panic! That's normal!). Drop the temperature to 220°C (430°F) and bake for a further 20 minutes.
- Remove the bread from the oven (it should be golden brown) and allow it to cool completely before serving. (see note 9)
Notes
- Use strong white bread flour for best gluten development; all-purpose or plain flour can be substituted if necessary.
- Whole wheat flour may replace other flours, and all-purpose flour can substitute semolina if unavailable.
- While stand mixers are acceptable, hand mixing and folding allow better dough feel and texture development.
- Allow the dough to rest before shaping to relax gluten and aid handling; refrigerate overnight for deeper flavor but let dough reach room temperature before baking.
- Use an oven-safe pot with lid (e.g., Dutch oven) for baking to retain steam and create a crisp crust; avoid aluminum cookware.
- Alternatively, bake shaped dough on parchment-lined sheet at high heat until crust is golden and hollow sounding when tapped.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 10slices
Amount Per Serving
Calories 145 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1slice | |
| Calories | 145kcal | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 30g | 10% |
| Protein | 5g | 10% |
| Fat | 1g | 2% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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