Psomi Spitiko is a really easy Greek bread recipe. Made with yeast, this a no-fuss bread recipe that's great for beginners. You could make the dough by hand or with a mixer. This Greek village bread has a crunchy crust and fluffy center!
You have to try this easy Greek yeast bread. Yes, I just typed those words: easy Greek yeast bread. I didn't use my bread machine. I didn't knead until my arms were about to fall off. I put this together in little over an hour.
I was looking for a quick bread to make for dinner. When my chef-hubby is home for dinner, we almost always have fresh bread. He likes to eat like he does at his mom's house. He pulls out the incredible cheeses and his mom's homemade salami. I usually make this bread. I sort of forgot to make the dough the night before.
I needed something quick and fabulous. I can't eat homemade bread with every meal or I would weigh a lot more than I do now. Fresh bread and amazing cheeses are my weakness. And homemade salami.
Originally shared on May 24, 2011. Updated on October 27, 2020. I really love this easy bread recipe and thought it was time to share again with my readers. You could make it a weekend baking project!
This bread has become my new weakness and I need to share it with you. Fast! Before I lose the recipe! I usually don't make a recipe and post it the next day. There was an urgency in my wanting to share this Greek deliciousness. The only Greek bread I have ever had is pita.
Some other bread recipes that I love to make our my Sourdough Discard Challah Bread and my Anadama Bread.
Jump To
- Why you'll love this easy Greek village bread recipe
- What does Psomi Spitiko mean in Greek?
- What is Greek village (country) bread?
- What ingredients are needed for Psomi Spitiko?
- Here are the steps it takes to make this delicious Greek bread
- The secrets of a perfectly baked psomi spitiko
- Some other homemade bread recipes:
- Psomi Spitiko
Why you'll love this easy Greek village bread recipe
- It is super easy for beginners
- You don't need a bread machine
- This type of bread has a crunchy crust and a moist, fluffy center, making it the perfect accompaniment for any meal or as an afternoon snack.
- The great thing about Psomi Spitiko is that it requires minimal ingredients and can be ready in a matter of minutes.
- The dough is easy to work with and can be shaped into any form you wish for the perfect presentation.
What does Psomi Spitiko mean in Greek?
It isn't a glamorous bread with a fancy name - it's just called ψωμί σπιτικό (psomi spitiko, say: psoh-MEE spee-tee-KOH)... homemade bread"
Here is the story behind the name on Psomi Spitiko that I found on a Greek food website (the link no longer works): "I learned this recipe for yeast bread years ago from family in Evros (the northernmost Greek prefecture). It takes about an hour and 20 minutes, start to finish, including kneading, rising time, and baking.
What is Greek village (country) bread?
Greek village (country) bread, or psomi spitiko, is a type of Greek bread that is made with flour, water and salt. This particular type of bread can be found in tavernas throughout Greece and is often served as an accompaniment to soups, salads, or other meals.
It has a dense texture and crusty outer layer and is typically baked in a wood-fired oven. This traditional Greek bread also has a distinctive flavor due to the salt used in its preparation. It is often served as an accompaniment to various dishes or simply enjoyed on its own.
Some variations of the traditional country bread may include different types of herbs, spices, olives, or onions . Greek village bread is a staple of the traditional Greek diet and can often be found in local grocery stores or bakeries.
I didn't take too many photos of the process as I wasn't sure how it would turn out.
This is an original photo from back in 2011 when I made it.
I left it to rise on top of my dryer for ½ an hour. It's the warmest part in my house.
Half an hour later, it was probably doubled in size. I then mixed in with my dough hook the rest of the flour. I put a little more flour on my counter and worked the dough just a little bit into two really cute loaves.
I let the dough rise like the recipe says for 15 minutes in my cold oven and I then turned on the oven to 425 F. The total rising time is 45 minutes: 30 minutes before you add all the flour, 15 minutes when the loaves are formed and put in a cold oven on baking tray.
I baked it for about 40 minutes. I lowered the heat a little after 30 minutes.
What ingredients are needed for Psomi Spitiko?
- bread (or all-purpose) flour (I used AP flour. I was out of bread flour)
- dry yeast
- olive oil
- salt
- sesame seeds, optional to sprinkle on top of loaves before baking
Here are the steps it takes to make this delicious Greek bread
The recipe yields 2 (1-lb) loaves.
- Dissolve yeast in the warm water.
- In a mixing bowl, combine 1 ½ cups of flour, salt, oil, and yeast with water, and mix until thoroughly blended. Cover tightly (plastic wrap works well) and let sit for 30 minutes.
There are two ways to make the dough: using a mixer, and by hand.
METHOD #1 (Mixing bowl) *I used this method
- Mixing with pastry hooks, slowly add 2 cups of flour to the yeast mixture and knead until smooth. The dough will be very sticky and just needs enough additional flour so it can be handled.
- Sprinkle a work surface with the remaining ¼ cup of flour and turn out the dough, kneading briefly by hand, pulling in the flour, until it doesn't stick to hands. *make sure your flour is near by to add more as needed. It can be very sticky and you may need to add more flour as you gently kneed it.
- Shape it into two loaves.
METHOD #2 (By hand)
- Add 1 ½ cups of flour to the yeast mixture and combine with hands to form a cohesive dough. Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead in as much of the remaining flour as needed until the dough is smooth and doesn't stick to hands.
Make the loaves:
- Shape into two loaves, place on parchment paper lined nonstick cookie sheet, and place on the middle rack in a cold oven for 15 minutes.
- Turn on oven to 425°F (220°C) and bake on the middle rack for 30 minutes or until golden.
- Cool on a rack.
The secrets of a perfectly baked psomi spitiko
- Patience and good timing. It is best to bake it in a stone oven for about 40 minutes, which will give the bread an amazing crusty texture with a fluffy interior.
- The oven should be preheated to at 425°F and the bread should be placed in the middle of the oven.
- To achieve a golden brown color, brush the top with olive oil or melted butter before baking.
One of the most popular Greek breads is pita or pocket bread. It is usually served with various salads, soups, and spreads such as tzatziki. Another popular type of bread is hortopites, which are made with freshly-picked greens like spinach , dill, and other herbs. The island of Crete has its own unique bread called rusks, which is made with olive oil, salt, and sesame seeds. Another popular type of bread is the Greek flatbread known as lagana. Lagana is made with yeast and is traditionally served during Easter. One of the most beloved Greek breads is tsoureki, which is a sweet, brioche-like bread that is flavored with orange zest and mahlepi (ground mahlab - a nutty spice). Tsoureki is traditionally served during Greek Easter celebrations. There is also psomi spitiko or country bread that is made with flour, water and salt.
The most common phrase for a Greek bread is "psomi" or "psomakia". This translates to simply mean "bread", but depending on the region, this can refer to a range of different breads.
Greek bread typically consists of ingredients such as flour, water, salt, yeast and olive oil. It can be prepared in a variety of ways including making it into flatbreads, or baking it in the oven to create loaves. Greek bread is often used for dipping sauces and spreads like tzatziki.
Greek pita is known as pita or pocket bread. It is a type of flatbread which is served with various salads, soups and spreads such as tzatziki.
The flatbread commonly used in Greece is called lagana. It is made with yeast and traditionally served during Easter. Lagana is usually eaten with dips such as tzatziki or taramosalata, or as a side dish to several dishes like souvlaki or stifado.
Some other homemade bread recipes:
I originally found this recipe on About.com ...back in 2011, but the link is no longer available.
Did you make this and love it? Please RATE THE RECIPE below:)
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Psomi Spitiko
Ingredients
- 3 ¾ cups of bread or all-purpose flour (I used AP flour. I was out of bread flour)
- 1½ cups of lukewarm water
- 1 packet ¼ oz of dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- teaspoon of salt
- sesame seeds optional to sprinkle on top before baking
Instructions
Dissolve yeast in the warm water.
- Be sure to do this step. This is the first step no matter if you mix with a mixer or by hand. In a mixing bowl, combine 1 ½ cups of flour, salt, oil, and yeast with water, and mix until thoroughly blended. Cover tightly (plastic wrap works well) and let sit for 30 minutes.
- There are two ways to make the dough: using a mixer, and by hand.
METHOD # 1: By mixer:
- Mixing bowl: (I used this method)
- Mixing with pastry hooks, slowly add 2 cups of flour to the yeast mixture and knead until smooth. The dough will be very sticky and just needs enough additional flour so it can be handled.
- Sprinkle a work surface with the remaining ¼ cup of flour and turn out the dough, kneading briefly by hand, pulling in the flour, until it doesn't stick to hands. *make sure your flour is near by to add more as needed. It can be very sticky and you may need to add more flour as you gently kneed it.
METHOD # 2: By hand:
- Add 2 cups of flour to the yeast mixture and combine with hands to form a cohesive dough. Sprinkle a work surface with the remaining ¼ cup of flour and turn out the dough, kneading briefly by hand, pulling in the flour, until it doesn't stick to hands. *make sure your flour is near by to add more as needed. It can be very sticky and you may need to add more flour as you gently kneed it.
Make the Loaves
- Shape into two loaves, place on parchment paper lined nonstick cookie sheet, and place on the middle rack in a cold oven for 15 minutes.
- Turn on oven to 425°F (220°C) and bake on the middle rack for 40 minutes or until golden. Check loaves at about 35 mins. Every oven is different, so yours may be ready at about 35 mins.
- Cool on a rack.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Notes
To create a more crusty top, just before baking score the loaves 2-3 times diagonally across the top.
Optionally, just before baking, brush the top of the loaves with water and sprinkle with sesame seeds before placing in cold oven.
I notice the comments are from 2011. Well in a few days it will be 2023. I’ve made this bread twice now and it’s such a simple recipe. The bread comes out delicious. My Greek husband loves it and that says a lot! No more store bought.
Hi Ellen-Perhaps you missed the 2022 comments...there are some from this year 🙂 BUT...I'm so happy to hear your Greek hubby loves this bread. That truly makes me super happy!! THANK YOU for letting me know! Happy Baking! XX
I love this bread recipe! I always make it instead of buying bread, especially during the summer.
I was wondering, can this be made into rolls instead of loaves?
Hi I have never made them as rolls. I would just adjust the time (they could be ready at about 15 mins, depending on how small you roll them out). Hope that helps!
Oh Lora, I went back and read the whole recipe instructions (in between the pics) and that cold oven instruction made sense (and Bless you for responding so fast) - AND it led me on a cold rise investigation journey (heh).
A big fat THANK YOU - because This was the MOST amazing bread recipe to make
(and eat) - it was the FIRST bread I've ever made that worked properly.
It was amazing (I took pics and I'd love to share them with you!)
Lora, I found a couple of really interesting recipes and cold rise in a dutch oven method that I wanted to take a moment to share with you (as you will be checking this before you post it, you can remove these links to other peoples recipes if you don't want them on there - just remove before posting my comments 😉 ...
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1. NO KNEAD CRUSTY BREAD - (which you can keep the dough for 7
days before baking) - https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/no-knead-crusty-white-bread-recipe#review-section
2. COLD RISE DUTCH OVEN - (this was a fascinating blog post) - https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2017/07/05/baking-in-a-cold-dutch-oven
3. BLACK RUSSIAN RYE BREAD - (this bread is amazing - it has 17 ingredients including dark chocolate, molasses and I toast fennel and coriander seeds before grinding - and I up the spices 😉 - https://smittenkitchen.com/2009/04/black-bread/
4. TURKISH BREAD - this is amazing - https://www.unicornsinthekitchen.com/turkish-pide-bread-ramazan-pidesi/
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Ah yes, your Greek bread! Wonderful! Here are my tips that I learned recently (that you might like to add) as I am new to the art of bread baking.
I've since tried your recipe with Bakers flour - and honestly, we preferred the All Purpose flour.
When I switched from kneading dough by hand to using a mixer, I learned that when using an electric mixer, 2 mins is the equivalent to about 8-10 of kneading by hand - and that over mixing / kneading makes it tough! (light bulb moment)
So, I now use the mixer for just as long as it takes to properly combine etc.
I also learned that when the dough ball forms on the dough hook, the moment it starts to 'climb' back up the dough hook - it's done (as you dont want this - since it means it's getting tough)
I spray the bread loaves with water (after the rise - and scoring - and just before turning the oven on) - I also place a small pan of water in the oven as these things create steam and allow the bread to rise a bit more before the yeast dies and the crust hardens enough to stop the rise. A famous bakery in Sydney does this for their hot cross buns 😉
My oven is fan bake - so that has to be a 20 degree less cook time (I never knew THAT either til recently !) than a conventional oven,
Still my bread loaves only take 25 mins.
Also, you know when the bread is cooked if you can 'knock' on the bottom of the loaf and it sounds hollow.
Hope this helps someone else!
I am going to try this bread doing a cold rise in a dutch oven and just bake it as one loaf - as an experiment. But the two loaves are probably going to be the favourite.
Okay Lora, thanks again for all the time and energy you took to share this with us and your kind responses.
Lucie xx
Hi Lucie-Thank you so much for sharing so many amazing tips (and these breads!! I want to try the Turkish bread out very soon!). Sure, I would love to see your photos! You could email them to me, if you would like. :)) Thanks again, Lucie, for the lovely comment...and great tips! XX
You don't say how much yeast or water! How am I supposed to make it?
Hi Linda-the yeast + water amount has been in the ingredients list for many years and it's still there. Perhaps you missed it: 1½ cups of lukewarm water + 1 packet ¼ oz of dry yeast.
Hope that helps!
oh my goodness, thank you so much for sharing his recipe (bread and cheeses and salami are also my weaknesses - with good wine of course 😉 - I cannot wait to try this (next weekend)
I just have a quick question about the baking step… when you turn the oven on, the loaves are already in the cold oven, so I am presuming that the oven heats up to temperature (220) while the loaves are in there - is this correct (or do you take them out (after rising for 15 mins in cold oven) and bring the oven up to full temp before putting them in the hot oven) ?
please advise and THANK YOU 🙂 xx
Hi Lucie-Oh, great idea! It will be perfect to enjoy with cheese, salami, and good wine!
Yes, I do specify in the way bottom of recipe in the NOTES section: The loaves will rise while in the cold oven, and will rise further when baking, so allow adequate space between.
Hope that helps! HAPPY BAKING! XX (let me know how you liked it!)
♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
THE PSOMI RECIPE IS AMAZING!!!!!!
I HAVE USED YOUR RECIPE SINCE YOU POSTED IT!!!!
Practically similar to my Yayas and I’m 69 yrs. Old
Hi Georgia-thank you so much for taking the time to leave the sweetest comment. I'm so happy it's similar to your yaya's (I'm sure hers was AMAZING)...that is a huge compliment! Happy Baking! XX
How much olive oil is used? The recipe just says "tablespoons".
Hi Emjay...not sure where the amount went when I created the printable recipe card...it is TWO tablespoons of olive oil. Hope that helps!
Absolutely phenomenal! It reminds me of bread I would make with my Yiayia from Greece. So good and amazingly fast and easy. I added half whole wheat flour and it was equally good. I may need to increase salt (i used 1 t.) per taste. Love it! Thankyou!
Hi Athena...thank you so much for letting me know you loved the bread. And so sweet to know you made a similar bread with your Yiayia!! Happy Baking! XX
It definitely can be used as a flatbread or pizza crust recipe or for olive oil bread. The formula sits at about 67% hydration before the addition of olive oil so the dough will be slack if you want to shape it into a loaf. The salt looks a little low and could be doubled but that's a matter of taste.
As most bakers have told me, if it works, don't fix it.
Hi Postal Grunt-This is different than the recipe I use for making my pizza dough. I made the recipe exactly as it's typed out and as I found it on the About.com site. It isn't like a flat bread recipe I've made before.Maybe when you try it, you'll find it to be like something you've made before.:)
So what you've got here is a recipe that doesn't require a bulk fermentation or proofing? Am I reading this correctly?
It does look a lot like a recipe for a flat bread or pizza dough.
That is one great looking quick loaf! Sounds wonderful 🙂
I love making homemade bread. 🙂 I can't wait to try this out!
Sounds delicious. I like that it is easy and makes two loaves...perfect:)
Love homemade bread! Love that this beautiful recipe makes such gorgeous loaves with very little work!
Lora..thanks for sharing such a simple homemade greek bread. Love the simple steps and no knead till the arms fall apart 🙂
Have a nice day ,
Elin
Love how it looks nice and crusty! Bread is my one true love (after M. of course!) ...love how your loaf turned out!
Yum! Looks so delicious! I love a great loaf of bread!
You mean pie queen is also a bread baker? Lucky chef! 😉 nothing beats homemade bread. I'm playing around w Spongebob II [my sourdough starter], so much fun! and a great gift for friends. Happy Tuesday! xoxo
Love homemade bread and also trying new things. This will be bookmarked for sure!