Greek Village Bread Recipe (Horiatiko psomi) 🥖

Bread is one of the most important things in Greek culture (and cuisine) and every bakery here in Greece fills its shelves with as many loaves as possible from early morning.

Though every region has it's own variations, the most common types are white bread, whole wheat bread and village bread (Horiatiko psomi). Horiatiko means "from a village" and psomi is the Greek word for bread.

Horiatiko psomi is made with Durum wheat a type of hard wheat cultivated in the Mediterranean region for many years. Because durum wheat flour has yellow color it gives bread a distinctive yellow hue (and delicious flavor).

This type of flour (sometimes called semolina flour) is also traditionally used to make Italian pasta which is also more yellow than other types of pasta.

If you like bread recipes and enjoy baking bread as much as I do, you should also check this Greek Artos recipe (monastery bread), a fluffy sweet aromatic bread served during religious holidays, this homemade Greek pita bread which used to make the Greek gyros (or souvlaki), and this Greek koulouri recipe covered with sesame seeds (koulouri is similar to a bagel or Turkish Simit).

📋 Greek Village Bread Ingredients

For this Greek bread recipe you'll need the following ingredients:

Durum wheat flour: In Greece it's also known as yellow flour (not to be confused with corn flour though) or "alevri zimoto" which means flour for kneading, but you may also know it as semola flour. It comes from hard wheat (Triticum durum). If you can't find Durum wheat flour you can make this recipe with ordinary bread flour (if it's stone-ground the better).

Bread flour: This is flour from soft wheat (Triticum aestivum) with high protein content (around 12-13%).

Sesame seeds: They're optional, and can be hulled or whole.

The thing that distinguishes Greek village bread is the flour. It must be from Durum wheat, which has been cultivated in ancient Greece and the Mediterranean region for many years. It has a yellowish color and delicious taste. 

The information about the wheat is mainly derived from mills.gr (article in Greek). You can also find useful information in the article Durum wheat sourdough bread (by greekchemistinthekitchen.com)

🥣 Substitutions - Variations

Sourdough: If you're a fan of sourdough bread, you can omit the dry yeast and use sourdough starter to make it a sourdough Horiatiko bread.

Fresh yeast: Instead of dry yeast you can also use 0.9 oz (25 grams) fresh yeast.

Various shapes: Instead of a loaf you can give Horiatiko bread a round or oval shape, or even shape it like a large donut (with a hole in the middle).

🔪 How to Make Horiatiko Bread

Follow this easy step-by-step guide to make the best Horiatiko psomi.

1. Add the water to a large bowl and sprinkle over the dry yeast. Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of the flour (so that the yeast has something to eat) and set aside in a warm place for 10-15 minutes. After that you should see some activity going on like small bubbles or foam.

2. Add the flour and the salt and stir with a wooden spoon until all of the flour is hydrated (the mixture may look dry at first but that's normal). No need to knead at this stage, just cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a wet towel and set aside in a warm place until tripled in volume (about 1 hour).

3. Transfer the bread dough to your kitchen counter and knead for 5 minutes until you get a soft, smooth and pliable dough.

I like to take small portions of dough and rub them against the surface of my kitchen counter to form thin strings. I've found that this method helps to develop the gluten of the flour and makes the dough very smooth.

4. After kneading, roll the dough into a ball and shape it into one large or two smaller loaves (please note that in the photos and video I made half a recipe so I made just one small loaf). Optionally, you can brush the loaf with some water and roll it over some sesame seeds.

Cover the loaf with a dump towel and let it rise until almost doubled in volume (about 30 minutes). This is a good time to preheat your oven.

5. Once the bread has doubled in volume, score it with a sharp knife and brush it with some water (this makes the crust more crispy).

Bake it in the oven until golden brown. Transfer on a cooling rack and let it come to room temperature before slicing.

💭 FAQs

What to serve with:

Greek village bread  is an integral part of every Greek table. It accompanies every food, and especially foods without meat and pasta, like this Greek green bean stew and this Greek lentil soup (Fakes). Other dishes you can't have without a slice of Horiatiko psomi are:

• Taramasalata (Greek fish roe dip)
• Greek Tzatziki
• Hummus
• Baba Ganoush (smoked eggplant dip)
• Labneh (fresh cheese made from Greek yogurt)

🍳 More Bread Recipes

🎥Recipe Video

Please note that in the following video I make half a recipe.

📖 Recipe

Greek Village Bread Recipe (Horiatiko psomi) 🥖

Makos

Don't overlook the most important tip if you want to learn how to make Horiatiko psomi like a true Greek! Also known as Greek village bread or country bread, this traditional loaf holds an indispensable place on every Greek table. It will surely earn a place among your favorite bread recipes.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs

Course Appetizer, Side

Cuisine Greek, Mediterranean

Servings 16 servings

Calories 116 kcal

Ingredients

 

0.5x1x2x3x

• ▢ 8.8 oz (250 g) bread flour (see notes for cup measurements)
• ▢ 8.8 oz (250 g) durum wheat flour (a.k.a. semola - see notes)
• ▢ 10.6 oz (300 g) water (lukewarm)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons dry yeast
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions

 

• Proof the yeast: Add the water to a large bowl and sprinkle the dry yeast. Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of the flour (so that the yeast has something to eat) and set aside in a warm place for 10-15 minutes. After that time you should see some activity going on like small bubbles or foam.
• Make the bread dough: Add the flour and the salt and stir with a wooden spoon until all of the flour is hydrated (the mixture may look dry at first but that's normal).

  No need to knead at this stage, just cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a wet towel and set aside in a warm place until tripled in volume (about 1 hour).
• Knead: Transfer the bread dough to your kitchen counter and knead for 5 minutes until you get a soft, smooth and pliable dough.

  I like to take small portions of dough and rub them against the surface of my counter to form thin strings. I've found that this method helps to develop the gluten of the flour and makes the dough very smooth.
• Shape the bread: After kneading, roll the dough into a ball and shape it into one large or two smaller loaves (please note that in the photos and video I made half a recipe so I made just one small loaf). Optionally, you can brush the loaf with some water and roll it over some sesame seeds.

  Cover the loaf with a dump towel and let it rise until almost doubled in volume (about 30 minutes).
• Preheat your oven to 390°F (200°C).
• Bake: Once the bread has doubled in volume, score it with a sharp knife and brush it with some water (this makes the crust more crispy).

  Bake it in the oven until golden brown and the crust seems crispy (about 30-35 minutes if you make two small loaves or 50-55 minutes for one large loaf).

  Transfer on a cooling rack and let it come to room temperature before slicing.

Notes

• Durum wheat flour is a type of hard wheat flour with yellow color. In Greek it is often named as yellow flour or "alevri zimoto". You may also know it as semola flour (but it's not the same as semolina, because it is much finer).
• This recipe will also work with durum wheat flour only or with normal bread flour only.
• This is a 60% hydration recipe which will give you an easy to work with, not sticky dough. If by any chance the dough becomes sticky during kneading, just add a sprinkle of flour.
• Salt plays a big role in the taste of the bread. Here it is approximately 9-10 grams (1 ½ teaspoon) for the basic recipe, which is 1.25% in total. This is not too much neither too little. Feel free to adjust the quantity according to your taste.
• Temperature will affect the time that the dough and the bread need to rise. I place it in a closed oven set at 95°F (35°C).

 

The quantities are given by weight because 1 cup of normal bread flour isn't the same weight as 1 cup of durum wheat (semola) flour. For reference my measurements where:

• 4.4 oz (125 grams) durum wheat flour = ¾ cups (approximately)
• 4.4 oz (125 grams) bread flour = 1 cup

Nutrition

Serving: 50gCalories: 116kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 4gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.3gSodium: 220mgPotassium: 91mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 0.4IUVitamin C: 0.001mgCalcium: 18mgIron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!