This delicious Greek bread with olive oil and oregano is so fragrant and wholesome! This glorious Dutch oven bread possibly the best bread I’ve ever baked. It typically disappears in minutes out of the oven!
I discovered this recipe researching different bread recipes baked all over Greece. The original recipe comes from a village in Messinia, Peloponnese. It uses a massive amount of flour and produces two huge loaves baked in an outside wood oven. Since I do not have a wood oven outside and could not manage to make so much bread all at once, I tweaked the recipe ingredients and baked it in a dutch oven. I could not be more pleased with the result!
How to make this bread
This Greek bread’s fantastic flavor is achieved by extra virgin olive oil, honey, and a generous sprinkle of dry oregano before baking.
The texture of this bread is just amazing. It’s not your basic bread, that is for sure. It’s very soft on the inside, with a unique, tender crust that feels almost like a cracker.
When you slice the bread right out of the oven, you can visibly see the olive oil on it. When I first made it, I thought it was not cooked right. I was wrong; it was absolutely perfect. The bread tastes even better the next day. My husband keeps telling me amazed that it is the best bread he has ever eaten.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Active dry yeast or fresh yeast
- Sugar
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Honey
- Sea salt
- Dry oregano
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Add the yeast in half a cup of warm water. Add 1 teaspoon sugar and 5 tablespoons of flour. Stir, cover with a kitchen towel and put the cup aside in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
The yeast mixture will rise and double in size.
Using a mixer with a dough hook, slowly mix the olive oil, sea salt, and honey with the flour. Add the yeast mixture, mix and slowly add about one cup of warm water. Knead for 5 min.
Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place (I use my microwave oven) to proof for an hour.
Punch down dough. Generously flour a sheet of parchment paper; transfer the dough to parchment, and quickly shape into a ball with floured hands.
Place the dough on the parchment paper and sprinkle the top with a tablespoon of dry oregano and a teaspoon of coarse sea salt. Sprinkle a little flour. Top with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Once the oven is preheated, place a 5-quart Dutch oven with the cover in the oven for 30 minutes before baking.
Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Uncover the dough and carefully transfer to Dutch oven, with parchment paper beneath (it is easier to transport).
Cover and bake bread for 30 minutes covered, then another 10 to 15 minutes uncovered until dough is baked through and golden brown on top.
- You can use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour or an equal mix of the two.
- If you don’t have coarse sea salt for the finishing touches before baking, feel free to use regular sea salt.
- You can knead this bread by hand for 15 minutes instead of using the mixer.
- Mix flour, olive oil, honey, and salt in a large bowl.
- Create a well in the middle, and slowly add the yeast mixture. Slowly add about 1 cup of water while mixing with a spatula or your hand.
- Transfer to a floured work surface and knead bread for 15 minutes. The rest of the steps stay the same.
How to Enjoy this Greek Bread
I make a loaf of this bread regularly. We enjoy it on its own or dipped in olive oil. It is also perfect for sandwiches, grilled cheese and toasted with a spread of good butter on top.
Eating this bread slice after slice plain, warm and crusty minutes after it comes out from the oven happens a lot, too 🙂
This greek bread makes a match made in heaven dipped in the sauce of shrimp saganaki.
Slice it and add delicious roasted tomato & olives on top and serve as an appetizer to your guests.
Yoy may also try:
- Super flaky feta cheese puff pastries with leeks and dill are a great quick-and-easy appetizer that will disappear within minutes from your table.
- These delicious lemon potatoes with garlic and oregano are the perfect side to a chicken or lamb roast or anything grilled.
- This delicious chicken stew with lemony cannellini beans makes a rustic, simple meal that will satisfy and comfort.
Check out my Greek pantry staples
Cooked this? Rate this recipe! You can also leave a comment below. I love hearing from you!
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Greek Bread With Oregano and Olive Oil
Equipment
- 5 qt Dutch oven
- stand mixer with bread hook
Ingredients
- 750 gr all-purpose flour 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 7 gr active yeast 2 1/4 teaspoons, about one packet of active yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 100 gr extra virgin olive oil ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1-1½ cups water
- dry oregano
- coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Add the yeast in half a cup of warm water. Add 1 tsp sugar and 5 tablespoons of flour. Stir, cover with a kitchen towel and put the cup aside in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
- Using a mixer with a dough hook, mix the olive oil, sea salt, and honey with the flour.
- Add the yeast mixture, mix and slowly add about one cup of warm water. Knead for 5 min.Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place (I use my microwave oven) to proof for an hour.
- Punch down dough. Generously flour a sheet of parchment paper; transfer the dough to parchment, and quickly shape into a ball with floured hands. Place the dough on the parchment paper and sprinkle the top with a tablespoon of dry oregano and a teaspoon of coarse finishing salt. Sprinkle a little flour. Top with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Once the oven is preheated, place a 5-quart Dutch oven with the cover in the oven for 30 minutes before baking.Remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Uncover the dough and carefully transfer to Dutch oven, with parchment paper beneath (it is easier to transport).
- Cover and bake bread for 30 minutes covered, then another 10 to 15 minutes uncovered until dough is baked through and golden brown on top. Cool slightly before slicing.
Notes
- If your dutch oven is covered with enamel inside, you don’t need the parchment paper. I personally find it easier to lift the loaf with parchment paper and transport it inside the pot.
Nutrition
Yum! I can’t wait to have a full bite of this bread! Your Greek Bread With Oregano and Olive Oil recipe looks so mouthwatering!
Thank you, Dennis It is really good! Hope you will like it.
Baking bread in the Dutch oven is one of the easiest ways to make it. I love the oregano in this recipe, it makes it a universal side to pasta and stews.
Yes, it is true! Thank you, Sharon!
What a fun idea to bake this Greek bread loaf directly in a dutch oven! I’ve never tried that technique, so I really appreciate all the great tips and method photos (to be sure mine turns out every bit as gorgeous and delicious and yours)!
It is a really good and easy bread, hope you will like it. Thank you, Shelley!
Hi there!
This looks so delicious and I want to try it, but I don’t have a Dutch oven to bake it in. Is there an alternative way to bake it?
Hi Vicki!
Yes, the original recipe I found had the bread baked on an oiled baking sheet in a wooden oven.
That’s how I would do it:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Brush some olive oil on a baking sheet.
Place the loaf on the baking sheet.
Place the bread in the oven, middle rack, and bake for 30 minutes at first. Keep an eye on it, you might need to bake a little more, maybe 5-10 minutes more. The bread should be done when it sounds hollow when tapped with the knuckle.
You can place a pan on the lower rack of your oven with water to create the same steam environment as the dutch oven. It is not a requirement, I used to do that when baking loaves of bread on a baking sheet. Have not done it with this bread recipe.
Let the bread cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Good luck!
Come back and let me know how it came out! I will add the method to the post.
Thanks so much for liking this recipe and willing to try it.
x Jenny
Hi Jenny…I just saw this reply from 2 years ago lol… I’ll definitely bake the bread and let you know how it goes. Thank you so much for replying.
Vicki
Simple, quick and easy and best when Homemade. I am in for baking this bread on a weekend.
It is really good, I hope you will like it. Thank you, Veena!
Oh wow the texture of this bread looks absolutely phenomenal, and I love how easy it is to make as well! Thanks for sharing.
It is a really easy and delicious bread. Thank you, Maria!
I was just craving a warm slice of bread! A hearty loaf of bread fresh from the oven, makes my mouth water!
Me too, I love bread so much. Thank you, Farrukh!
I love homemade bread, and this one looks really good and tasty. I’ll be doing this for the weekend.
It is really good! Hope you will like it. Thank you, Amy!
You don’t have a wood oven outside? Haha. That would be a nice thing to have, huh? 😉 I’m glad you adapted this recipe for us normal people! It sounds amazing and so easy.
It is really easy, hope you like it. Thank you, Erin!
I adore homemade bread and this Greek Bread is no exception. This sounds fantastic and I will be trying it very soon.
Thank you, Debbie! I hope you like it!
I love how simple the ingredients are but the flavors outstanding! The olive oil and oregano really go well together in this bread! Delicious!
It really is great bread. Thank you, Jamie!
Is there a way to convert the measurements from grams to cups?
Hi Diana,
Sure, here they are.
750 gr all-purpose flour: 6 cups
100 gr olive oil: 1/2 cup
7 g active yeast: 2 1/4 teaspoons, I think it is about one packet of active yeast
Hope that works!
Thanks so much for checking out this bread recipe.
x Jenny
Hello, I like this post. It would be helpful to know the greek name for this bread. Seeing that you are the Greek Foodie, and all :). Thank you!
Hi Yuliya!
The greek name would be “ψωμί με λάδι και ρίγανη” or “λαδόψωμο με ρίγανη.”
Thanks so much,
x Jenny