Lagana: the traditional Greek sesame flatbread

Today is a bank holiday in Greece, known as ‘Kathara Deftera’ (lit. Clean Monday). In the Greek Orthodox liturgical calendar, Kathara Deftera is the start of the Great Lent, and as such, it is the equivalent to Shrove Monday. The day falls on the 7th Monday before the (Orthodox) Easter; it follows the 3 weeks of Carnival celebrations (‘Apokries’). Kite-flying is one of the main Kathara Deftera customs, often accompanied by outdoor dining. The menu consists of seafood, taramasalata (fish roe dip), halva, and lagana, a traditional Greek sesame flatbread, baked only on this day.

Although most Greeks buy their laganas from a bakery, it is an easy bread to bake at home, as long as you have the patience to wait for the dough to prove. Here is my recipe:

Ingredients:

300 ml water (at room temperature)
10 grams dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
500 grams strong bread flour
1 tablespoon salt
50 ml olive oil, plus more for brushing the flatbreads
Sesame seeds

Method:

In a bowl add the water, the yeast, the honey, and whisk well. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Then, add the flour, the salt, and the oil into the bowl and mix well with your hands. Knead the dough for several minutes, until it is smooth and elastic. Cover the dough with cling film and set aside for an hour and a half to let it prove.

Then, divide the dough into two equal halves. Flatten them out, forming two round or elliptical flatbreads. Place them on a baking tray lined with baking parchment, brush them with a little olive oil and sprinkle the sesame seeds. Place the baking tray in the oven, and let them prove for another half an hour.

Then, take them out of the oven and preheat the oven to 200 Celsius Fan. With a fork, make indentations all over the flatbreads. Bake for half an hour.

The laganas are ready. Enjoy them with taramasalata!

Further reading

Check out my recipe for a delicious Greek semolina halva with orange and honey.

Alex

(the hopefully-soon-to-be-Traveling-again Psychiatrist)