Lagana (Greek sesame flatbread)
Lagana (Greek sesame flatbread)
In few days, here in Cyprus, we will celebrate Kathara Deftera, aka Green Monday and is the day that marks the start of lend! It's my favourite bank holiday, as we tend to spend it outdoors doing all sorts of fun activities and the most popular one is flying a kite! Besides this, is also a day where we don't consume any meat or dairy, rather we focus on lend foods. And even though shellfish is still consumed on this day, it's a big win to have a day without any meat consumption! Lagana is a sesame flatbread that is typically made for this day, but if you ask me, we should have it all year around :) So, today, I'll show you how to make the most effortless lagana as no kneading is required!
Vegan, nut free, soy free | 1 bread | SIDES
Ingredients:
- 400ml lukewarm water
- 11g instant dried yeast (1 sachet)
- Pinch of sugar
- 500g strong flour
- 10g salt
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- Extra olive oil for the bowl
Coat with:
- Sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
Steps:
1.In a large mixing bowl, add the water yeast and a pinch of sugar and whisk. Let it sit for 10 minutes, in order to activate the yeast.
2.Whisk the yeast mixture, before you add the flour, salt and olive oil.
3.Use a silicon spatula to combine everything, this will take few minutes, be patient.
4.Once everything has been well combined into a dough, transfer it into a large mixing bowl with oil in the bottom, add some on top of the dough.
5.Cover, and let it ferment overnight (18-24 hours) on a countertop (I put mine in the oven, that was off).
6.The next day, the dough should have doubled in size. Knock the air out with your fists, and transfer in an oiled baking sheet.
7.Fold each side in the centre, then turn the dough so that the folded sides are in the bottom. It should have a rectangle-ish shape, but it doesn't really matter. Let it proof covered for an hour.
8.In a small bowl, add 50ml of water and a tablespoon of sugar and combine well to dissolve the sugar.
9.Once the dough has finish proofing, using your fingers, press straight down to create deep dimples.
10.Brush the sugar-water mixture on top and sprinkle some sesame seeds.
11.Bake in a preheated oven at 220°C for 30-40minutes.
12.Once baked, let it cool down before you eat it.
Enjoy!
Notes:
*The water must feel warm on the touch, but not hot as it will kill the yeast.
*I like to enjoy it with taramosalata, tahinosalata or hummus spread, and it also makes a great sandwich bread!
Did you try this recipe?
Let us know how it went, comment below and share a picture on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #natliciousfood