This is a recipe that is long overdue on this blog, especially as it is one of those breads that I make all the time. Last week, I made a version of this Greek feta cheese bread for my students at the cooking school to have at the beginning of our class and everybody loved it. They all asked for the recipe, which I promised for today’s blog!
A perfect “no-knead” bread
The recipe for this Greek flat bread is straight-forward and requires no kneading, which makes it perfect even for the amateur baker. I think of it as a close cousin of the Italian focaccia. They both call for generous amounts of extra virgin olive oil and they can both be topped with endless combinations of ingredients and herbs. A key difference is that is this dough is milk-based, which makes it soft and tender and gives it a “pourable” consistency. Also, and unlike focaccia, it does not require a second proofing.
A Variation of the Greek Feta cheese bread
A variation of this Greek feta cheese bread is another favorite of mine, the Greek olive bread (eliopsomo). This one, also very delicious, is topped solely with Greek olives, instead of the feta cheese. I prefer Kalamata or, as an alternative, a combination of different marinated olives. When I have trouble deciding which one to make, I often combine both olives and Feta cheese. Whatever topping you choose, Greek oregano and lots of good extra virgin olive oil are a “must” for this recipe. A large cast iron pan is perfect for giving the bread an even baking and for heat retention, but two smaller 8-inch cake rounds can also be used to make two smaller flat breads. One for you and one to share or both for you if you are not so inclined!
- 1½ cups milk, lukewarm
- 1 envelope yeast (2¼ tsp.)
- 1½ tsp. salt
- 3 cups All-purpose flour
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup Greek feta cheese, crumbled
- ½ -1 TBSP. oregano
- Pour the milk into a glass measure cup and stir in the yeast until it dissolves. Set aside for 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour and the salt together and then add the milk and yeast mixture, stirring gently with a wooden spoon to incorporate. . At this point, the dough will still be sticky–do not add more flour. Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer equipped with a dough hook.
- Cover the bowl with a towel, place it in a warm spot and let it rise for an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Set a 12-inch, cast iron skillet in the oven, until it is very hot.
- Add the olive oil and the oregano to the bread dough and mix well with a spatula, folding over the dough and scrapping the sides of the bowl. Gently fold in the crumbled Feta.
- Carefully remove from the oven the hot skillet, line it with a piece of parchment paper and immediately add the dough, smoothing the top with a spatula.
- Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or so, or until golden brown on the top and the bottom.
- Remove from the oven and let the bread cool a bit in the pan. Place on a wire rack to cool completely.
--- For this rustic bread, I measure the flour by simply dipping the measuring cup into the container with the flour. If you use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup, you will end up with a very loose dough!
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So glad to have this recipe! I’ve had this bread before and it truly is absolutely delicious! Thank you for posting this!
You are very welcome Cindy – I am glad you like it. It is such an easy recipe to make and perhaps, the easiest of all the breads I make!
Love your recipes and cannot wait to make this! Question: I have a bag of yeast, not envelopes, so how much would I use? Thanks!
Hi Lucy! Just measure 2 1/4 tsp. of yeast, that’s the equivalent of an envelope!
I will add this information to the recipe too!
Looking forward to trying this tomorrow – feta and bread – two of my favorite things!! Should I use fresh or dried oregano?
Hi there,
For this recipe I use dried oregano. The fresh would be too strong! Do let me know how you like it – this bread is such a favorite in my house!
This bread has so many great attributes! Easy to make, beautiful to present at your table, and a combination of flavors that are so special, but not overwhelming. This is a great find. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you Jean! This is a family favorite recipe, I am so glad you liked it!
Hi! This recipe sounds great but unfortunately I moved recently and do not have a cast iron skillet. Do you have any recommendations on what I might use instead?
Hi Tess, just use a deep, heavy duty 9″ cake pan. It will work just fine!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I was looking for a bread with feta and this was even better than I imagined. I made this recipe as directed the first time and the second time I added 1/2 cup of chopped Kalamata olives. Both ways were amazing!
Thanks again!
Hi Shanna, thank you so much for your comment and for rating this recipe! It is one of my very favorite bread recipes and one that we make often. So happy to know you already made it twice and that you had success with it!
Thank you for this lovely, delicious recipe Marilena! I made as is and found the loaf so soft and fluffy on the inside yet nice and crispy on the outside. My family loves it!
Probably not traditional but I tried adding some additional spices (garlic, onion, basil, rosemary) together with olive and tomato tapenade and it was soooooo yummy. Definitely a keeper! Thanks again!
That’s wonderful! Thank you so much for letting me know, I am so happy you liked my recipe. Your additions sound delicious, too 🙂
So delicious … many thanks for sharing …. Sylvie from Montreal
So happy to know that you tried making this favorite recipe, Sylvie!
Hi – What kind of milk should be used? Buttermilk, whole or 2%?
Thanks.
Hi Ami,
I use regular milk for this recipe, whole milk or 2% will be fine! Either way you are going to love it:)
I made this today. The initial dough was really wet. I let it prove but still very wet. I added the olive oil & it would not mix in so I mixed it in the machine along with the feta. Before baking, I added some more flour & the texture improved. I baked for 30 mins but it came out dense & heavy. Tasted fine but I’m wondering if it should have a second proving after the final additions?
Hi Jacquline,
As the recipe says, “the dough for this bread will be sticky – do not add more flour”. This is a loose dough that you simply pour into the hot skillet…. you do not have to form into a round loaf. A stand mixer can help with mixing and I often use it to incorporate the olive oil but you should not need to make any other adjustments! One more thing: how did you measure the flour? For this particular recipe, I just dip the measuring cup into the container with the flour!
I hope this helps and that you will try making this delicious bread again!
Can this be made in crockpot
I have not tried it in a crockpot…. The baking temperature is very important and I am not sure it can be as consistent in a crockpot as in the oven!
I haven’t made it yet.will be making this weekend as having visitors . I was wondering if I could make it in a Dutch oven without the lid ,as I don’t have a cast iron skillet.
I haven’t made it yet.will be making this weekend as having visitors . I was wondering if I could make it in a Dutch oven without the lid ,as I don’t have a cast iron skillet. It will be still done in the oven.
I haven’t made it yet.will be making this weekend as having visitors . I was wondering if I could make it in a Dutch oven without the lid ,as I don’t have a cast iron skillet. It will be still done in the oven. Looking forward to making this. Love Greek food.
Hi Patricia,
If your Dutch oven is not too deep, it shouldn’t be a problem. Towards the end of the cooking time, you can carefully remove it from the Dutch oven to allow it to get some nice color!