Lagana Bread: Greek Flatbread Filled with Olives, Sun-dried Tomatoes & Herbs

Crisp, soft bread with sweet, smokey, salty, herb flavor!

My twist on lagana bread, a Greek flatbread, is filled with olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and herbs. In Greek tradition, lagana bread is always made on Clean Monday, which marks the beginning of Lent and Spring in Greece. I’ve had this version of lagana on my channel for about three years. However, because I like it even better than the plain version, I wanted to update it for you. I fill it and top it with some of my favorite things, and it’s so delicious. The sesame seeds and herbs on top make it look beautiful, too. You’re going to want this every day!

Why you’ll want this every day

Crisp outside

Pillowy soft inside

Sweet, smoky sun-dried tomatoes

Briney, meaty kalamata olives

Fresh herb

The perfect combination of crisp, soft bread and salty, sweet, herb flavor!

Everything you need

For the starter

• Lukewarm (115 °F) water
• Granulated sugar
• Instant yeast 
• Bread flour

Remaining Ingredients

• Bread flour
• Salt
• Olive oil -try the one in our shop straight from Crete!
• Lukewarm water 
• Fresh rosemary -sub dried if that’s what you have
• Fresh chopped basil leaves -sub dried if that’s what you have
• Kalamata olives -sub black or green if you prefer
• Sun-dried tomatoes -packed in olive oil and chopped
• Black sesame seeds for the top -white or leave them off

Optional fillings

• scallions 
• caramelized onions

How to make Lagana Bread, a Greek flatbread filled with olives, sun-dried tomatoes & herbs

Make the starter

1. Combine all of the starter ingredients in the bowl of a tabletop mixer fitted with the hook attachment or mix the ingredients together with a spoon or whisk and set aside for about 10 minutes.

**Baker’s note! ** A puffy cloud will form on the top of the mixture. If this does not happen, throw away the mixture and start with a different batch of yeast. Yeast rarely goes bad, but when it does, it cannot be used.

Make the dough

1. Whisk together the remaining flour and salt in a bowl.
2. Add the flour mixture and olive oil to the yeast mixture and knead on low speed for 7 minutes. If kneading by hand, increase the kneading time to 10 minutes.
3. Add the chopped olives and sun-dried tomatoes to the dough and knead it for one more minute.

**Baker’s note! ** The dough should remain sticky. If it is dry, knead in about ¼ cup more water. A soft, sticky dough will yield light, airy bread.

Creating the bread

1. Place the dough in a large oiled bowl and cover it with plastic.
2. Set aside in a warm place to rise until doubled in size –about 11/2 to 2 hours, depending on the temperature.
3. ​Punch down the dough and cut it into two equal portions.
4. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
5. Using your fingertips or a rolling pin, roll out each piece of dough into a rectangle about the same size as the pan, about 10 inches x 14 inches.

**Baker’s tip!** Rectangular shapes are common, but this rustic bread can be shaped however you like. ​

6. Place on the parchment-lined baking tray and cover with a clean kitchen towel.
7. Set aside to rise for about 30 minutes.
8. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 425 °F, 220 °C.
9. ​Place a cast iron skillet (or baking pan) on the bottom rack of the oven to warm up while the oven is preheating.
10. ​After 30 minutes, using your fingertips, press into the dough to make indentations in the dough.
11. Brush the dough with water and sprinkle sesame seeds and/or herbs on top.
12. Pour a cup of ice water into the warmed cast iron skillet on the bottom rack.
13. Then, bake the trays one at a time on the center rack.

**Baker’s tip!** Use a pizza stone or ceramic tile on the center rack to help create bakery-style bread. Just make sure to place the stone in the oven while it is preheating to avoid cracking. I leave my stone inside the oven at all times.

14. ​Place the tray onto the center rack (or the pizza stone) and bake until the bread is golden -about 15 minutes.
15. ​Allow the bread to rest for about 8-10 minutes before serving.

My trick for rising the dough quickly

When rising bread dough, you always place it in the warmest area of your house and let it rise until it’s doubled in size. Wet doughs like this one rise much faster than dryer doughs, but I still like to use my dryer trick. I put a few clean, dry towels in the dryer for about five minutes on high heat. Then, turn the machine off, remove the towels, and put your bowl inside. The dough will typically double in size within an hour and be ready to use.

Serving

Who says you can’t make fabulous bread at home? I love how the black sesame seeds and herbs make this bread so beautiful. It’s pretty enough to serve as a first course with soft roasted garlic in olive oil. You could even drizzle the top with a little balsamic dressing or vinegar for an extra pop of flavor. It would go with any Greek-style dish if you’d like to serve it with a meal. Try it with a Mediterranean Lemony White bean salad or Mediterranean Chickpea Salad for lunch or Greek Lamb and Cabbage Stew for dinner. Honestly, I can just eat it as a snack all by itself! Kali Orexi!