Why do Greeks eat lagana?

Like many ancient, pagan traditions in Greece, the making of lagana soon acquired an altogether Christian meaning, as the special bread that is only consumed on the first day of Lent .

What is the most popular bread in Greece?

The Koulouria is one of the most popular loaves of bread in the entirety of Greece, and it's not hard to see why! While it appears to be a simple ring of break, there are many different types, including Koulouri Thessalonikis - which you can find on our menu.

What do they eat on Clean Monday in Greece?

Clean Monday is a public holiday in Greece and Cyprus, where it is celebrated with outdoor excursions, the consumption of shellfish and other fasting food, a special kind of azyme bread, baked only on that day, named "lagana" (Greek: λαγάνα) and the widespread custom of flying kites , as it symbolises "trying to reach ...

What is the history of lagana bread?

Its name derives from the ancient Greek “laganon”, a flaky pastry made of flour and water. The history of lagana dates back to ancient times and continues to this day . Aristophanes in “Ecclesiazusae” mentions the word “Laganas”. In his texts, Horatio mentions that lagana is “The dessert of the poor”.

Why do Greeks eat so much bread?

Historically, Greeks lived on a large diet of bread in the villages, especially in frugal times . A meal of home-made bread, olives and cheese was what people lived off during tough times. And that lunch is still served today.

Why is Greek bread yellow?

It's also known as yellow bread because the semolina flour in the bread gives it a little yellow color . The house smells amazing while you're making it, and homemade bread is just beautiful to look at. It's hearty, homemade, and more delicious than anything you can buy from the store.

Why do Greeks eat so late?

In Italy and Greece , the typical dinner time is around 9:00 pm . This is due to their cultural norms and lifestyle , where people tend to have a later start to their day and have a longer break in the afternoon for a siesta . Therefore , dinner is pushed back to a later time . Yes, some of us do.

Why do Greeks eat Koliva?

Orthodox Christian families honor the memory of deceased loved ones with a special dish called koliva. This ritual, common in the Balkans (especially Greece) and Russia, employs the whole grain of the wheat plant to symbolize everlasting life.

Why do Greeks eat gyro?

After the 1922-23 Population exchange between Greece and Turkey, the Greeks brought their variation with them to Greece . Following World War II, Gyros made with lamb (called as döner kebab by some restaurants) was present in Athens. It was likely introduced by immigrants from Anatolia and the Middle East.

Why do Greeks eat Tsoureki?

Baking & Tsoureki Making As such, it is common for the family to gather on the Thursday before Holy Sunday and bake a delicious sweet Easter bread, called Tsoureki. This is eaten on Easter as the three braids of the bread represent the Holy Trinity . Although many Greeks do tend to sell and eat it throughout the year.

Traditional Lagana recipe (Greek Shrove Monday Bread) (2024)

in Baked, Breads and pitas, Our hand picked recipes, Side dishes, Traditional Greek Easter Lent recipes, Vegetarian

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Let me start by saying that it’s a shame that Lagana is only eaten once a year!Lagana is a delicious Greek flat-bread, which is very similar to focaccia and is traditionally baked on Shrove Monday (or Clean Monday, ‘Kathari Deutera’). Shrove Monday is the first day of Great Lent before Easter.

This Lagana recipe will give you the authentic, unique flavour of this delicious Greek flat-bread, scented with tahini and white wine. Simply amazing!

Lagana Bread recipe – A delicious Shrove Monday Tradition

Shrove Monday or Clean Monday (Kathari Deftera) is a Greek public Holiday, usually celebrated by going out for a picnic and also by the custom of kite flying. As with most holidays in Greece, this one also revolves around food!

As it is the first day of the Orthodox Lent, no meat, fish (only these with no blood, like octopus or calamari) or dairy products are consumed. This means that it’s the day of the year to make all these traditional Greek recipes, like taramasalata, dolmades, semolina halva and of course the one thing that holds everything together.. this traditional Lagana recipe!

Ingredients for Greek Lagana bread recipe

Since Lagana bread is traditionally a GreekLenten bread, it doesn’t contain any ingredients that can’t be consumed during Fast, like dairy products.

The main ingredients you will need to make Greek Lagana bread are simple ingredients you already have in your kitchen. Bread flour, yeast, olive oil, salt and sugar are commonly used

Tip: When preparing this Greek Lagana bread recipe it is best to use a “strong” flour known as bread flour which is high in protein. This will help the bread hold it’s shape better and give more texture.

You could be really happy with the end result using only these main ingredients, but if you like experimenting with new flavors, you should try adding some tahini and white wine or even ouzo.

I found it really interesting to use tahini in the dough, as it adds a bit extra nutty flavor and texture. If you don’t fancy tahini or if you don’t have any laying around, you could substitute with olive oil (50ml).

Tip: An authentic last touch is to press your fingertips into the dough all along the surface of the Lagana and sprinkle with sesame seeds, which is most commonly used for topping.

Other delicious Lenten recipes to pair with

Greek cuisine has a lot of vegetarian and dairy free recipes to enjoy during Lenten period. Here are some of my favourite dishes to pair wonderfully with Lagana bread.

Authentic Greek Fava (Yellow split peas puree)
Gigantes plaki (Greek baked “giant” beans)
Delicious Briam recipe (Greek mixed roasted vegetables)
Greek eggplant dip (Melitzanosalata)
Greek Bean soup recipe (Fasolada)
Greek Octopus and onion stew (Xtapodi stifado)
Greek okra stew recipe with tomatoes (Bamies Laderes)

Traditional Lagana recipe (Greek Shrove Monday Bread)

(683 votes, average: 4.87 out of 5)
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Author: Eli K. Giannopoulos
Prep Time: 110 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Yield: 1 bread 1x
Category: Breads
Method: Baked
Cuisine: Greek
Diet: Vegan

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Description

This traditional Greek Lagana recipe will give you the authentic, unique flavour of this delicious Greek flat-bread, scented with the aromas of white wine and tahini.

Ingredients

Scale

500–520g strong bread flour (17.6 – 18.3 oz.)
270g lukewarm water (9.5 oz.)
30g dry white wine (1 oz.) or alternatively water
8g dry yeast (0.3 oz.)
2 tbsps tahini (or alternatively 50ml olive oil)
2 tbsps sugar
1 tbsp salt
sesame seeds for coating

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Instructions

To prepare this traditional Greek Lagana bread recipe add in a mixer’s bowl the water, yeast, sugar, wine and tahini and mix to combine.
Add the flour and salt to coat the water and set aside for 10 minutes. Do not blend the flour in the water.
Using the dough hook, mix the ingredients (medium speed) for about 7 minutes, until the dough is soft and does not crumble. Depending on the kind of flour used, the weather and many other factors, you may need to use from 500 to 520g flour. Leave 20g of flour aside and add a little bit at a time, until the dough is firm and not too sticky.
Coat lightly a bowl with olive oil, place the dough for the Lagana inside and cover. Let it rise in warm environment for about 1 hour, or until it doubles its size.
For this Lagana recipe you need to use a large baking tray, approx. 35*25cm. Oil the bottom and sides of the baking tray and gently deflate the dough. Spread the dough for the Lagana evenly on the tray and let it rise for another 10-15 minutes.
Using your finger, poke some holes across the surface of the Lagana bread and sprinkle with water and sesame seeds.
Bake the Lagana in preheated oven at 180C for 25-30 minutes or until crispy and deep golden.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 piece
Calories: 304kcal
Sugar: 3.3g
Sodium: 875.8mg
Fat: 5.8g
Saturated Fat: 0.8g
Unsaturated Fat: 4.5g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 53.6g
Fiber: 2.9g
Protein: 8.6g
Cholesterol: 0mg

Keywords: Lagana recipe, Greek Shrove Monday Bread Recipe, Greek Lenten Bread

Recipe image gallery:

8 Comments

Anna
February 22, 2015 at 19:12 ·Reply

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Almond Joy Layer Cake | Chocolate Coconut & Almond Cake Recipe

Awesome! Now I have a recipe for my Lagana baking tomorrow. Thank you SO MUCH for posting this. Now I just need my lazy boyfriend to repair our kite…
Margo E
April 4, 2015 at 19:44 ·Reply

Hi Just an FYI but taramasalata is NOT a Lenten dish, it comes from fish which has blood….they are fish eggs.
But its still the best meze for company.
Lisa
March 15, 2021 at 18:25 ·Reply

This is not traditional. Lagana is eaten clean Monday. No wine or oil….
- NANCY J HOLTZ
  October 12, 2023 at 21:31 ·Reply
  
  Hi, loved the recipe but when baked for 30 mins it never got golden, looks white. It is definitely fully baked crisp and golden on the bottom. Any ideas?
- Gillian
  March 16, 2024 at 09:33 ·Reply
  
  Agreed! No wine or oil on Clean Monday!
Jesse
September 12, 2021 at 01:32 ·Reply

Your’s looks a lot nicer but mine was a hit. Not understanding the “sprinkle with water” bit at the end. Pretty easy and quick to put together for a yeast bread. I’ve made four of your recipes recently and I’m a big fan. Everything has had great flavor and worked well. As an American, I love that your give measurements in grams. Especially for breads but for everything it’s generally better.
- Eli K. Giannopoulos
  September 13, 2021 at 09:50 ·Reply
  
  Just sprinkle a bit of water on the dough so the sesame seeds can stick to it 🙂 You can also use a bakers brush to brush the dough with a bit of water and then sprinkle the sesame.
Maria
February 28, 2023 at 23:24 ·Reply

When my grandmother made Lagana, she would add feta, onions and mint. It was placed on top of the lagana not mixed within. It wasn’t neisteisimo but we loved it.

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