Greek Country Bread Recipes

Steps:

• Place white bread flour, whole wheat bread flour, and yeast into a large mixing bowl and stir with a wooden spoon. Pour in cold water and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until a very wet, sticky dough comes together, about 3 minutes. Add the salt and mix another 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Cover with foil. Allow dough to rise at room temperature for 18 hours.
• Deflate the bubbly dough with a spatula by scraping down the sides of the bowl and folding the dough over itself, turning the bowl as you go around in a circular motion, about 12 times or so.
• Scrape the dough onto a very well-floured surface with a spatula. Sprinkle the surface of dough generously with flour. Generously flour hands and then roll and fold dough on the table until you've formed a round or oval loaf shape that has a smooth surface, 1 to 2 minutes. The dough is very sticky, so add more flour if you need. The shape doesn't really matter, but a smooth surface is the goal.
• Transfer to a Silpat®-lined baking sheet and let rise, uncovered, until doubled in size, about 2 hours. The dough will spread out more than rise up, but this is normal.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Make 1 shallow slash down the middle of the dough with a very sharp knife or razor, being careful not to deflate the dough too much; the slash is optional. Spray the surface of the loaf very lightly with plain water to help the crust form.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until nicely browned, about 30 minutes. Let cool on a rack before cutting.

Steps:

• Sift flour into a mixing bowl and place into a low oven to warm.
• Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water, then stir in remaining water, salt, and sugar.
• Remove flour from oven; take 2 cups of flour from the bowl and set aside.
• Make a well in the remaining flour and pour in the liquid; stir in a little of the flour until the liquid gets thick, then cover the bowl and leave in a warm place until the mixture is frothy, about 10 minutes.
• Stir the rest of the flour into the liquid, and add the butter/oil gradually, beating with a wooden spoon or mixing with your hands until smooth (about 10 minutes), or alternatively, use a dough hook/mixer for 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle a little flour onto a board, and turn the dough out; gradually mix in some of the flour you had set aside earlier.
• Only knead in enough to keep the dough from sticking; dough is ready when it is satiny, and the surface is slightly wrinkled; shape into a ball.
• Oil the dough, and place in bowl, making sure the top side is oiled completely; cover bowl with plastic and allow to rise in a warm place for 1-1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size.
• Punch down and make into 2 pieces; turn onto floured surface, and form each into a torpedo-shape.
• Grease baking sheet and sprinkle with semolina; place the dough well apart on the sheet and cut 4 diagonal slashes across the dough; cover with a cloth and allow to proof in a warm place until doubled again, about an hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Place a dish of boiling water on the bottom of the oven; spray bread lightly with a mister and bake in preheated oven for approx 35-40 minutes; after first 15 minutes, mist again with water, then again 10 minutes later.
• Cool on a rack when done.

Steps:

• Add all ingredients to a large bowl, or a stand mixer bowl. Mix well to combine.
• Knead by hand until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, or using a stand mixer for 5 - 8 minutes.
• Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 2 hours
• Gently fold to deflate. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a floured brotform. Cover and let rise 1 ½ - 2 hours or until doubled.
• Preheat oven and baking stone to 425 degrees.
• Gently flip the bread out of the brotform and onto a parchment lined peel. Score the round with a sharp knife.
• Slide the loaf onto the baking stone and bake for 25 - 40 minutes, or until interior temperature reaches 200 degrees.
• Remove from oven and let cool for up to an hour before slicing.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water. Slowly add the 1/2 cup of flour and mix until all lumps of flour have dissolved, to form a thick liquid. Allow to rise about 15-20 minutes.
• Sift the remaining flour with the salt, put in a large mixing bowl, and make a well in the center. Add oil, honey, milk, yeast mixture (or sourdough starter), and 2 cups of the water in the well. Pulling in the flour slowly, mix with hands until it's a cohesive mass. (If more water is needed, add in small amounts from the remaining 1/2 cup.) Turn out onto a floured surface and continue kneading until the dough is nice and smooth and no longer sticks to the hands.
• Place the dough in a lightly oiled mixing bowl and roll until all sides of the dough are lightly oiled. Cover the bowl with 3 dishtowels: one dry, one dampened with warm water (wet towel and wring out), and the other dry. Place in a warm place and allow to rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Punch down and knead for 5-6 minutes on a floured surface. Divide the dough into the number of loaves you want to make (this works well in 3-4 loaves), and form into round or oblong or baguette shaped loaves. Place several inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets and cover with 3 clean dishtowels (the middle one damp). In a warm place, allow the loaves to rise for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 450F (220C).
• For a thicker crust, score the tops of the loaves in 3 or 4 places (see photo). Otherwise, bake as is on the rack just below the middle of the oven for 30-35 minutes until browned. When tapped on the bottom, bread will sound hollow.
• When the loaves are done, remove from oven and cool on racks.

Steps:

• In a large salad bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, pepper and onion. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar and seasoning. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat. Chill until serving. Just before serving, sprinkle with cheese. Serve with bread.