This No-Knead Greek Bread Recipe Is the Best I’ve ever Tasted
For years, I was intimidated by the process of making Greek bread. You have to knead it for 15 minutes and shape it into a special loaf and let it rise in a pottery dish for four hours. Then you bake it again for another hour or so!
It’s not easy for me to find time on the weekend to deal with all that work. So, I decided to look around for an easier way to make this delicious bread. And guess what? There is!
Section:
- In a large bowl, mix together the dough ingredients until they form a sticky ball.
- Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
- Punch down dough and shape into 4 loaves or buns (for sandwich rolls). Place each loaf onto a lightly greased baking sheet; cover loosely with plastic wrap, or place buns on a parchment lined baking sheet for about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on oven temperature, until fully risen again and almost doubled in size (this may be done one day ahead of time for convenience). Bake at 350°F until golden brown on top – about 35-40 minutes for loaves/sandwich rolls; 15-20 minutes for hamburger buns/hot dog buns/biscuits.
- Cool completely before slicing or eating! Enjoy!
8 oz warm water
Use warm water. You’ll want to use room temperature or slightly warmer water, but don’t let the water boil or be too cold. You can use a thermometer to measure the temperature of the water and adjust accordingly. Use a glass or ceramic bowl. Do not use metal bowls, as they will absorb heat from your hands and cause your dough to become sticky!
1 tsp salt
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, yeast and salt. Add the water, olive oil and honey to the flour mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined (the dough will be shaggy and sticky). Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours or until the dough is puffy and has risen noticeably in size.
1 Tbs yeast
You can buy yeast in the baking aisle of your grocery store or at a specialty store. It comes in packages with three or four envelopes inside, depending on how much you’re planning on making. The package has instructions for how much to use and how long it takes for the dough to rise, so follow those!
2 Tbs olive oil
The type of olive oil you use is essential to this recipe. It should be extra virgin olive oil, which means that it’s been cold pressed and not processed with heat or chemicals. Since olives are a fruit, not a vegetable (as many people think), they can be strained using steam or mechanical pressure instead of being heated or treated chemically to release their oils. The result is a higher quality product that has better flavor and nutrients than other types of oils.
2 Tbs yogurt
Yogurt is a great ingredient to use in breads. Yogurt adds flavor and softness to the dough, while also helping with rising and keeping the bread moist, which is especially important when using a yeast recipe that doesn’t involve kneading. You can use Greek-style yogurt or regular whole milk yogurt (or a combination of both). If you’re using Greek-style yogurt, make sure it’s thick—not runny!
Make this delicious Greek bread with no kneading involved. So easy!
This Greek bread is the perfect thing to make for a picnic or game day. It’s easy, no kneading involved, and uses olive oil and yogurt rather than butter. It’s also great for making sandwiches.
I usually make mine on Friday night so that it has time over the weekend to rise before I bake it off on Monday morning. Or you can make this as a quick meal prep option by making it ahead of time and freezing individual portions in freezer bags (or even plastic wrap until you are ready to use them).
To freeze: Let cool completely after rising (about an hour or so), then slice into desired size pieces (for me this is about 6 inches long) and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil sprayed with nonstick spray; cover tightly with plastic wrap; freeze until solid before transferring into freezer bags/containers – they’ll keep up to 3 months!
This recipe is so easy to make, and it makes the most delicious bread. You can also use this dough for rolls or hamburger buns. It’s great because you don’t have to knead it at all! Just mix everything together and let it rise for an hour before baking. If you love Greek food like I do, then give my no-knead Greek bread a try soon!
