Horiatiko psomi – rustic Greek bread with olive oil Recipe
Horiatiko psomi is a simple country-style bread that appears on the table in Greek homes with practically every meal. It has a crisp crust, a soft crumb, and a delicate aroma of olive oil. It’s perfect for dipping in olive oil, mopping up sauce from the plate, or as a base for Mediterranean-style sandwiches.
Horiatiko psomi is a typical “village bread” that in Greece is brought to the table next to olives, cheese, and simple salads instead of individual rolls. It’s often served simply with olive oil, salt, and oregano, which highlights the quality of the local olive oil.
This is a simple loaf that tastes like the bread served in small tavernas alongside a carafe of wine and a bowl of olives. Thanks to the olive oil in the dough and baking with steam, it develops a pronounced, crisp crust and a soft interior that stays fresh for longer. It also freezes well, so you can bake a bigger loaf to last several days.
Why this version works
- The addition of olive oil gives a delicate aroma and slows staling, so the bread stays fresh for longer.
- Long kneading and two rising stages build the gluten, which makes the crumb elastic and prevents it from crumbling when sliced.
- Steam in the oven delays the surface from drying out, allowing the loaf to rise well and develop a thick, crisp crust.
Chef's tips
If your kitchen is cool, let the dough rise in a switched‑off oven with just the light on – it will be gently warm inside. After the first rise, large bubbles on the surface are a good sign that the yeast is active; don’t press them out too hard when shaping. Don’t cut the cooling time short – the hot center will continue to “bake through” outside the oven, and only then will the crumb be even, without any gummy patches.
How to serve
Serve this bread warm with a small bowl of olive oil, a pinch of sea salt, and oregano – exactly the way it’s done in small tavernas on the islands. It pairs beautifully with Greek salad, roasted vegetables, and grilled dishes, but also with a weekend breakfast of feta, tomato, and olives instead of a classic sandwich.
Watch out for
- Do not use water that is too hot for the yeast – it should be warm but not scalding; in water that’s too hot the yeast will die.
- If you add too much flour while kneading, the loaf will turn out heavy and dense instead of light and fluffy.
- Do not cut the bread while it’s hot – the crumb will smear and can become damp, as if underbaked.
Substitutions
- You can replace up to 100 g of the white wheat flour with wholemeal flour, bearing in mind that the crumb will be slightly heavier and more substantial.
- You can swap instant or active dry yeast for about 20 g of fresh yeast, dissolving it in the same amount of lukewarm water with sugar.
Ingredients
- wheat flour type 550 or bread flour - 500 g
- water lukewarm, not hot - 320 ml
- instant yeast or 20 g fresh yeast - 7 g
- salt - 1.5 teaspoons
- sugar for activating the yeast - 1 teaspoon
- olive oil for the dough and for brushing - 3 tablespoons
- wheat flour for dusting the work surface - 2 tablespoons
Preparation
- Pour the lukewarm water into a bowl (it should feel like a pleasant warm bath, not hot), add the sugar and yeast. Stir and set aside for 10 minutes, until a visible foam appears on the surface and the mixture starts to smell slightly of bread.
- Put the flour and salt into a large bowl and mix. Pour in the foamy yeast mixture and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, stirring with a spoon until the ingredients come together into a sticky, rough ball of dough with no dry flour left at the bottom.
- Transfer the dough to the counter and knead for 8–10 minutes, until it becomes smooth, elastic, and springy to the touch. If needed, dust with only a very thin layer of flour so the dough stays soft rather than firm and dense.
- Lightly grease a bowl with olive oil, place the dough in it, and turn it so it’s coated with a thin layer of fat all over. Cover with a kitchen towel and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour, until it doubles in size and looks clearly airy.
- Transfer the risen dough to a lightly floured work surface. Gently flatten it with your hand, fold the edges toward the center like an envelope, turn it seam‑side down, and shape into a round or oval loaf with a smooth, taut surface.
- Place the loaf on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Cover with a kitchen towel and leave for 30–40 minutes, until it has clearly risen again, and when you gently press it with a finger it slowly springs back without collapsing.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C (top and bottom heat). Just before baking, score the bread 2–3 times with a sharp knife or razor blade to a depth of about 1 cm and brush the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Place a small ovenproof dish with hot water on the bottom of the oven to create steam. Put the tray with the bread in the oven and bake for 30–35 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden, slightly cracked, and the loaf has risen noticeably.
- Take the baked bread out of the oven, carefully remove it from the tray, and place it on a wire rack. After a few minutes, tap the bottom – it should sound dry and hollow, which means it’s properly baked.
- Start slicing only once the bread has cooled completely, when the crumb is dry and springy and the knife glides through the slices smoothly without smearing the interior on the blade.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
I most often bake this bread on Saturday afternoon so that on Sunday morning I can tear off still slightly warm slices and dip them in garlicky olive oil – it’s my favorite “Greek” ritual at home.
