Our version of this Greek Lenten flatbread isn't necessarily traditional – the recipes we found varied considerably in flavourings, hydrations, baking times/temps, so we had to work out our own numbers and flavour pairings.
But the last three bakes have given us very tasty loaves, so we decided to post our experimental recipe here, and let other home bakers try their own spin on it. We've pinned it to our weekly bake list cos it's really versatile, so we'll add updates if we discover new ways to improve the recipe.
It's a simple bread to make, and fairly fast, needing only one rise and a proof. We plan to test an overnight ferment, so we can have a fresh lagana ready for brekkie.
Oh there's a "bonus" recipe below for charred and balsamico-drenched Roma tomatoes that you can serve with your lagana. They're also lovely by themselves, served on ice at the height of summer.
^ Even though lagana are meant to be torn by hand, we do actually like to slice it in half first, just to savour that delightful crackle as the knife goes through the crust...
*** Ingredients
For one lagana (roughly 28x22 cm):
180g water
4-6g fine sea salt
14g extra-virgin olive oil (a nice fruity one)
2g za'atar (just the wild thyme, not the spice blend)
10g nigella seeds
250g strong bread flour
2-5g instant yeast
5-10g extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Notes
Water: At 180g, the dough is fairly wet, which we personally find a bit tricky to handle. If you're a new baker like us, and you'd rather work with an "easier" dough, go with 160g instead, which gives a 64% water to flour ratio.
We've successfully made other flatbreads with that hydration – the dough is very pliable and rarely sticky, which makes shaping much simpler.
Flour: We've gone with strong bread flour (13% protein content) cos we wanted to try a higher hydration, but many of the recipes we found chose all-purpose flour or an equivalent, even a combo of AP and fine semolina.
If you use a lower-protein flour, do lower the hydration too – the baking time might need to be shortened a bit as well.
Yeast: We live in very hot climes, so 2g is usually more than enough. In colder climes, or if you need a speedier rise, go with a bit more.
Don't expect the dough to rise a lot – it is a flatbread after all 😉, but it will bubble up and almost double in height during proofing, and fill out further in the oven.
Olive oil: Do use a good quality one if possible as it lends considerable flavour. We've kept the oil to flour ratio at around 5% so as not to affect the rise (see Kevin's notes on using fats: https://www.breadbakingathome.com/post/using-dairy-products-in-bread-making).
We do drizzle more on top just before baking, for flavour and colour – but not a lot since this isn't a focaccia ☺️.
Salt: We find 4g just nice when serving the lagana with antipasti, but eaten by itself, it might need a bit more.
Za'atar: Wild Mediterranean thyme (satureja capitata) is incredibly aromatic, but it's not easy to get these days. Regular thyme will work too, but packs less of a punch, so you might need a bit more.
Nigella seeds: These also pack a strong punch, with an almost peppery bite. If you can't find any, use black sesame, or try caraway for a somewhat different flavour profile.
Glaze: Most of the recipes we looked at applied a glaze with petimezi πετιμέζι (grape must) before baking, to add flavour and to help the seeds adhere to the surface of the dough. We can't get a hold of any, so we've worked the seeds into the dough.
If you want to add the seeds as a coating but can't find petimezi either, spray the dough lightly with water, sprinkle on the seeds, then gently pat them down into the dough, before dimpling and baking.
*** Steps
Mix the ingredients together till a shaggy dough forms.
Cover the dough and leave it to rest for 15-20 min, to hydrate the flour.
Work the dough for around 10 min, till it releases fairly easily from the work surface.
We start with a light knead and move on to folds after a few minutes. As we do all our kneads/folds with a scraper, inside the bowl, we don't have much trouble with stickiness at this point, even though the dough is pretty wet at a 72% hydration.
If you prefer to work on a countertop, handle the dough with just your fingertips and keep them lightly dampened, as well as your scraper. (We keep a bowl of water or a spray bottle handy.)
Cover the dough and let it rest for about an hour, till it doubles in volume. (Rising times will vary depending on your room temp.)
For ease of transfer, prep a large piece of parchment paper (it should fit comfortably in your baking tray), and shape the dough directly on the parchment. (We use some BluTack to keep the paper from moving about on the bench – remember to remove after you're done shaping 😂.)
At this stage, the dough will be pretty sticky, so have your spray bottle nearby. (Thankfully, there's barely any shaping involved as flatbreads don't require a lot of structure.)
Lightly degas the dough with some folds. Cover it and let it relax for 10-15 min, so it's easier to stretch out later.
Using your fingertips, gently spread the dough out into a long oval or rectangle, till it's about 1cm thick. Avoid using a rolling pin as that will degas the dough too much.
If the dough keeps "rebounding", don't force it, or it could tear. Just cover it and let it relax a bit more – after a few minutes, you should be able to stretch it out all the way.
Lightly spray the surface with water, to make sure it doesn't dry out, cover the dough and let it proof for about an hour, till it gets bubbly and almost doubles in height. (Proofing times will vary depending on your room temp.)
While waiting, preheat your oven to 210C. You can preheat your baking tray at the same time – we didn't cos we find handling fiery-hot metal too tricky.
Carefully dimple the dough, taking care not to pierce it, and drizzle on more olive oil.
Lift the parchment paper (with the dough on top) onto your baking tray. If you've preheated the tray and it's sitting in the oven, watch your hands!
Bake at 210C for 10 min, then lower the heat to 190C for 15 min. Carefully flip the loaf over and continue baking for another 5 min to finish browning the bottom. (Don't walk away for too long – depending on the final thickness of your dough, it might bake faster.)
Leave the loaf to cool on a wire rack for 5-10 min. Tear into it while still warm ☺️.
Lagana are traditionally torn by hand, not cut, but if you slice it lengthwise, after letting it cool all the way, and fill it up with goodies, it makes a great sammie.
^ Our version of a ham & cheese sandwich – lagana sheets laden with home-cured maple ham from a neighbour, slivers of an aged parmigiano, a Chinese-style fried egg (with bubbly, toasty edges and an oozy yolk), chubby tomato slices, local endives picked from a friend's garden patch... all drizzled with a hearty peppery olio – no other seasonings needed 😊.
*** Charred Roma Tomatoes Lightly Pickled in Balsamico
We've served our lagana with antipasti, just feta and olive oil, or even had it on its own. It seems to work best with simple bold pairings, and these slightly smoky, "amped up" Romas go beautifully.
300g whole Roma tomatoes (firm ones only) – cherry tomatoes are easier to get though
40-50g aceto balsamico (balsamic vinegar)
Granulated sugar, to taste
The process is simple, but does require some care.
Leave the tomatoes whole. Wash and thoroughly dry them, then lightly sear them in hot oil (just a thin drizzle), only till the skin starts to blister.
Keep tossing them the whole time – don't let them cook! They need to remain firm, so don't take more than a minute.
Transfer to a lidded container (glass or ceramic; avoid metal and plastic).
Add the balsamico, cover the container and place it in the fridge for 3-4 hr or overnight.
If you find the tomatoes too sharp after tasting, temper with some sugar and leave for another hour.
As an appetitizer, they're best served chilled, but with lagana, they're nice at room temp.
Notes
To do a larger batch, follow a ratio of roughly 15g balsamico to every 100g of tomatoes. The results will vary depending on both the depth of the vinegar and the quality of the tomatoes.
You want the vinegared tomatoes to pack a solid punch, but they shouldn't be so sharp that they singe your tongue.
Please don't use a balsamico tradizionale (aged at least 12 years) – they're delicious but cost the earth and should be reserved for special occasions ☺️. A young year-old balsamico will suffice.
If you can't find a decently priced balsamico, dilute a vino cotto or a pomegranate molasses. We often use hei luo mi tian cu 黑羅米甜醋(sweet black glutinous rice vinegar) – cheap and good 😝. You can also try something lighter like Maggie Beer's verjuice, but the flavour won't be as full or deep.
If you want to keep the tomatoes oil-free, skip the searing. Instead, gently prick a few holes in the skin with a toothpick or thin skewer, but the tomatoes will need at least a full day to macerate properly.
Never cut the tomatoes – you want them to soak up the balsamico, not leak out all their juices and turn squishy. When you bite into them, they should go "pop" and give you a heady rush of balsamico-drenched nectar – gloriously refreshing on a hot sultry day.