So, I recently forgot about Greek bread but rectified the omission today. I made Greek Country Bread. This is a whole grain bread made with a shorter than usual knead but pretty standard fermentation and proof.

In rural Greece bakers were limited to the grains available to mill into flour. The whole grain flour used here gives the loaf a rustic appearance and more earthy taste. If you don’t have whole wheat flour handy, you can use most any grain, think barley or semolina.

Coating the top of the loaf with water before baking and after 30 minutes yields a beautiful, crunchy crust and the whole wheat flour provides a wonderful crumb and flavor.

Greek Country Bread (Whole Grain) Recipe

INGREDIENTS
• 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 c whole wheat flour
• 1 c warm water (~100⁰ F)
• 2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 2 Tbl olive oil, plus extra for the baking sheets
• Extra all-purpose flour for your hands and the work surface

METHOD

1. Add the yeast, sugar, ¼ cup of the whole wheat flour, and the water to a small bowl and mix together well using a whisk. Leave the mixture uncovered and set it aside in a warm place until it has a spongy appearance. You can let the mixture sit for up to 1 ½ hours, depending on how sour you want the dough to taste.
2. Add the all-purpose flour, salt, and the rest of the whole wheat flour to a large bowl and whisk well with a clean, dry whisk. Pour the yeast mixture on top of the dry ingredients and stir well with a wooden spoon. When the dough starts to come together, knead the dough for 5 minutes, continuing to add small amounts of all-purpose flour until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky.
3. Wipe the large bowl clean and coat it with oil. Place the dough in bowl and flip it over to coat top of the dough with oil. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a large, clean towel and set aside in a warm place until the dough doubles in size, ~ 2 ½ hours.
4. Punch down the dough after it rises and lightly flour the work surface once again. Knead for about 2 minutes, or until the dough is elastic. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Form the dough into a round loaf shape and place on the baking sheet. Coat the top of the loaf with more olive oil. Set the baking sheet aside until the loaf doubles in size.
5. Slice the top of the loaf with a lame or sharp knife.
6. When the loaf is ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400⁰ F. Brush the top of the loaf with water and place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the loaf from the oven and brush it again with water. Place the loaf back in the oven and cook for an additional 15 minutes. You’ll know the loaf is done because when you knock on it with your knuckles, it will sound hollow. Remove the loaf from the oven and let it cool on the counter for at least 5 minutes before cutting into it.