Lagana, Greek Flatbread

I was really intrigued when a recipe for Lagana popped up on my Facebook Feed. I love bread, so anything new fascinates me. I googled it immediately and decided to make it today since today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. The ingredients are similar to Indian Flatbreads and I always have these ingredients at home. The only difference is that it has yeast and is baked in the oven. Traditionally yeast is not used, but apparently nowadays, it is quite normal to add yeast. Anyway, I decided to go with my trusty Chappathi recipe with the addition of some yeast.

Typically made and eaten on Clean Monday, also known as Pure Monday, Ash Monday, Monday of Lent or Green Monday, which is the first day of Great Lent throughout Eastern Christianity and is a moveable feast, falling on the sixth Monday before Palm Sunday which begins Holy Week, preceding Pascha Sunday (Easter). It signifies a day of spiritual and physical cleansing, where people traditionally eat fasting foods and celebrate outdoors with activities like kite flying; it marks the end of the Carnival season (Apokries) and the start of the period of abstinence from meat and rich foods. Wikipedia

Lagana is typically oval shaped, topped with sesame seeds. It typically has a few cracks and is soft on the inside.

Risen Dough
Before Baking
After Baking

NB: I used my Preethi Mixer Dough Attachment to knead this and it was absolutely soft and elastic

The Recipe For Lagana

The Ingredients For Lagana:

4 cups whole wheat flour (atta) 520 grams

1/4 cup oil, extra olive oil

3 cloves garlic, crushed (optional, I love adding garlic to all my breads)

2 tbsp sesame seeds

12 gms instant yeast

½ tsp honey

1 tsp salt

Extra honey and water to mix for brushing – optional ( I just scattered the sesame seeds on top)

Water (boiling hot) as needed to knead a soft dough, About 11/2 cups (360 ml) You may need more (Add a little at a time and discard unused water)

Atta absorbs a lot of water, so this hydration is essential.

Method For Lagana:

Brush the Preethi mixer Atta Kneader with a little oil. This is to prevent the dough from sticking to the sides and make cleaning it easier. Mix dry ingredients together (Wheat flour, salt and yeast). Mix wet ingredients together (warm water, olive oil, honey and garlic). Add the dry ingredients and pulse 2 or 3 times until ingredients are mixed. Add the wet ingredients slowly on low speed (not all together). Atta absorbs water slowly; Preethi motors can strain if the dough suddenly tightens. Knead for only 1-2 minutes at a time. Rest 1 minute. Repeat cycle again 3 to 4 times until the dough comes together. Preethi motors heat up fast, so resting protects the motor and prevents dough from overheating. Make sure you hold the jar firmly as it will begin to dance around. Check the dough texture. For Lagana, dough should be soft, supple and slightly sticky. If it’s stiff or cracking → add 1–2 tbsp water. After it comes together in the mixer, take it out and give a quick hand knead to smooth the surface. (This gives much better texture, especially with Atta.) Place in an oiled bowl in a warm place. (I usually keep mine in the kitchen). The dough will double in size in 1 to 11/2 hours depending on the warmth in your kitchen and other factors. This is the first proofing. Next, divide in half (this quantity makes 2), make into a ball and knead each one for a couple of minutes. Make into an oval and use your hands to press into a long oval shape (like a Naan-Indian flatbread). I pressed it directly into a oiled baking tray. Repeat with the second ball and cover and proof again for 30 minutes. Finally, using your fingers, press down into the risen dough creating the characteristic finger marks. You can even press until you feel the bottom of the tray. At this time it looks something like Focaccia, but it isn’t. Spread some warm water mixed with honey over the laganas and scatter 1 tbsp of sesame seeds over each. Drizzle extra olive oil over which is purely optional. (I did). Bake in a pre-heated oven at 230°C/ 446 F for 15–18 minutes until golden brown. Break with your hands and enjoy this traditional bread with your family.

Extra Tips for Preethi Mixing

Use the “Dough Knead” attachment, not the steel blade.
Always keep speed LOW.
Stop mixing immediately if the motor sounds strained.
Atta dough stiffens after 2–3 minutes, so always keep hydration slightly higher.

On Clean Monday a knife is not used to cut the lagana since the use of a knife (in the olden days, they were usually made of iron) is felt to introduce bad luck.