This is a delicious Mediterranean tahini flatbread. If you are a real fan of crust, you will love that traditional Greek recipe.

A close up photo of a Mediterranean tahini flatbread.

30 days of Greek Food is on air and this is the first post and recipe. Woo-hoo!

Super excited, I sat in front of my laptop to write my first lines and decide about the first recipe.

It took me 3 whole days, guys! No joke! Frozen in front of my laptop looking at the empty screen, the walls, and the view outside my window. Impossible to choose from a tremendous variety of recipes. Which is the best one to start with?

There is a story behind each Greek recipe mainly because this cuisine is intimately related to the country’s history and tradition.

Let me explain what I mean.

Imagine a cauldron (without the witch). We tossed in it a culinary tradition of some 4.000 years, temperate climate, unparalleled biodiversity, varied topography, a religion that shapes enormously people’s eating habits, and … voilà. You’ve got a mixture of Greek Mediterranean cuisine. Can you see the dilemma facing the decision about my first recipe?

I decided to go with the flow and post a Great Lent recipe. I will explain below.

What is this tahini flatbread

So, you’ve got flour, honey, sesame seeds, and tahini in your pantry? Great! Let's make a traditional Greek flatbread called Lagana. An easy-to-make recipe with a unique flavor.

Apart from its deliciousness, there are so many ways to use it. It is an excellent and convenient recipe to also make dough for Italian pizza or this Greek kind of pizza (called ladenia), sandwiches, etc.

Recipe's cultural context

Are you here only for the recipe? No interested in food history? Ok, no problem... Jump to Recipe

The rest of you follow me (actually, go on reading)!

We are in the middle of Orthodox Christian Great Lent and a few more weeks till Easter and this is the time to purify our body, soul, and mind through prayer and fasting.

During that period the religious Greeks abstain from foods deriving from animals, their meals are humble and they thank the Lord for the food on their table. This way of living during Great Lent had an impact on food preparation and cooking of every meal, even bread.

Take Lagana this post's flatbread, as an example. It is important to remain flat because that’s how it remains humble. A puffy bread symbolizes arrogance and this attitude isn’t accepted during Great Lent. So I chose this bread because the reflection/expression of faith over food is extremely interesting! Especially when we enjoy unique heavenly tasteful outcomes!

Lagana flatbread is usually made on the first day of Great Lent called Clean Monday or Ash Monday. It is easy to prepare mostly because women had to devote their time to other important tasks. It was the day of cleaning their pots and pans using wood ash to remove their grease …. while praying, of course.

The recipe

I will share my favorite version of lagana flatbread enhanced with tahini. Tahini will delightfully change the crust's texture and provide a rich flavor far better than the one in the basic flatbread recipe.

It doesn’t really matter what kind of flour you use. However, I would recommend using whole wheat flour, at least a part of it, following the instructions of the Mediterranean way of eating.

It's a straightforward recipe that won't give you any trouble.

First, activate the yeast, add the tahini, the olive oil, and the flour. Knead. The rest is proof and baking time.

What to serve with Mediterranean flatbread

According to the Greek tradition, this sesame flatbread is served on the first day of Great Lent.

It doesn't have to be like this. Isn't it a pity to eat that delicious bread only once a year? Definitely! So let's change it here and now. Add this healthy, easy, and versatile bread to your main recipe list and you will not regret it.

To start with, serve it every day with any recipe. Additionally, you can easily make bread sticks, pizza (use this bread instead of the classic pizza dough), and croutons for soups and salads. Perfect for sandwiches as well.

Finally, I would pair it with spicy feta cheese dip, tzatziki, and eggplant dip to enjoy the Mediterranean Greek flavor kick.

If you make this recipe, you have to let me know! I absolutely love your feedback. This is a huge motivation for me and keeps 30daysofgreekfood’s kitchen alive. Bookmark this recipe and leave your rate and comment below, or take a photo with your Mediterranean Tahini Flatbread and tag me on Instagram with #30daysofgreekfood and Facebook with @30daysofgreekfood.

Recipe