This site uses only a few technical cookies necessary for its operation. By continuing to browse, you accept their use.
To find out more...
To find out more...
Cretan Bread
This Cretan (or Cretan-style) bread has a soft dough, enriched with olive oil, preserved tomatoes, green olives and cooked onions.
107 K 4.1/5 (24 reviews)
4 hours 30 min.
Easy
7.30 €
8 pieces
12 IngredientsLast modified on: October 24th 2017
For 8 pieces, you will need:
- 1
150 g green olives - 2
150 g onion - 3
2 tablespoons olive oil - 4
150 g feta - 5
150 g preserved tomatoes - 6
1 kg plain white flour (French Type 65) - 7
650 ml water - 8
18 g fine (or table) salt - 9
15 g yeast - 10
100 g leaven (optional) - 11 50 g olive oil
- 12
1 tablespoon dry oregano - Total weight: 2,380 grams
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 40 min.
Resting: 3 hours 20 min.
Cooking: 30 min.
All in all: 4 hours 30 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - ⌛ 3 min.
Prepare the filling
Roughly chop 150 g green olives.
Stage 3 - ⌛ 3 min.
Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into a saucepan on medium heat. Add the onions, salt and pepper, then mix well.
Cook uncovered without colouring for 2 or 3 minutes.
Cook uncovered without colouring for 2 or 3 minutes.
Stage 4 - ⌛ 1 min.
Add the onions, 150 g feta and 150 g preserved tomatoes to the olives...
Stage 5 - ⌛ 1 min.
...then mix all this together.
Stage 6
In bread-making, the water temperature is always important. It's not a fixed value, but related to 3 other temperatures: 1) the temperature of your flour, 2) the room temperature in your kitchen, and 3) the basic temperature of this recipe, which is 56-60°C.
You can calculate the temperature of the water for this recipe in one click, using this small calculator.
You can calculate the temperature of the water for this recipe in one click, using this small calculator.
Stage 7 - ⌛ 5 min.
Put into a food processer bowl: 1 kg plain white flour (French Type 65) *, 650 ml water, 18 g fine (or table) salt, 15 g yeast and 100 g leaven.
*You can use a "strong" bread flour, if this is available.
*You can use a "strong" bread flour, if this is available.
Stage 8 - ⌛ 20 min.
Knead on slow speed for 16 minutes.
Note: For the best way to knead, see: A few tips for effective kneading at home.
Note: For the best way to knead, see: A few tips for effective kneading at home.
Stage 9 - ⌛ 1 min.
Towards the end of kneading, add 50 g olive oil in a thin stream.
Stage 10
Tip: you can use the oil from the preserved (or sun-dried) tomatoes as the olive oil.
Stage 11 - ⌛ 1 min.
Finish by adding 1 tablespoon dry oregano.
Stage 12 - ⌛ 1 min.
Add the filling mixture...
Stage 13 - ⌛ 2 min.
...and knead just enough to mix this in.
Stage 14 - ⌛ 2 hours
Gather the dough into a ball, transfer to a large, clean bowl and cover with a plastic sheet.
Leave to rest for 2 hours.
Leave to rest for 2 hours.
Stage 15 - ⌛ 20 min.
After resting, weigh out the dough into 300 g lumps and shape into balls. Leave these to rest for 30 minutes, covered with a plastic sheet (so that they do not form a crust).
Stage 16 - ⌛ 1 hour
After this, reshape the balls and put into "bannetons" (baskets).
Leave to rise, covered with plastic as before, for 1 hour.
Leave to rise, covered with plastic as before, for 1 hour.
Stage 17 - ⌛ 2 min.
Stage 18 - ⌛ 25 min.
Bake for about 25 minutes.
Remarks
If you don't have any oregano, you can use thyme or a mix like "herbes de Provence" instead.
The yeast can be replaced with 300 g of soured dough.
The yeast can be replaced with 300 g of soured dough.
Keeping: A few days in a cloth bag. Freezes well.
Source: Home made but dedicated to Arnaud the french-cretan guy.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 160 RDI=60 % | 940 RDI=90 % | 560 RDI=90 % | 6,010 RDI=300 % | 25,150 RDI: 300 % |
| Per 100 g | 6 RDI=3 % | 40 RDI=4 % | 20 RDI=4 % | 250 RDI=10 % | 1,060 RDI: 10 % |
| Per piece | 20 RDI=8 % | 120 RDI=10 % | 70 RDI=10 % | 750 RDI=40 % | 3,140 RDI: 40 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 8 pieces : 7.30 €
- Per piece : 0.95 €
Change currency:
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Plain white flour (French Type 65)
Like these other recipes: Poitevin twist, Bacon rolls, Olive and pesto bread, Hamburger buns, Leavened bread, ... See them all 19
Water
Like these other recipes: Citrus syrup, Chicken pie, Fillet of beef in a rosemary crust, Classic French white bread, Vegetable stock, ... See them all 141
Preserved tomatoes
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Cauliflower tabbouleh, Sushi, Pasta with pesto and preserved tomatoes, Tomato foccacia, Fish terrine with spinach and tomatoes, ... See them all 9
Onion
Like these other recipes: Turmeric risotto, Sorrel and potato quiche, Pea risotto "Mantecare", Ratatouille confite, Couscous, ... See them all 153
Other recipes you may also like
Tatin apples with mascarpone cream
Small pieces of apple cooked "tatin" style (caramelized in a pan) with a light mascarpone cream. November 20th 2011197 K4.3 1 hour 3 min.
Lemon Confectioner's Custard
This recipe is for a confectioner's custard with a difference: it's a little less sweet than the classic confectioner's custard (crème pâtissière, or french pastry cream) and has double lemon flavour, using both zest and juice, for plenty of tangy lemon taste. It's the perfect filling for lemon tarts, of course, but also verrines, profiteroles, eclairs, etc. May 9th 2018226 K4.4 25 min.
Savoury mini-madeleines with 2 cheeses
These moist-textured savoury madeleines have a delicious combination of 2 cheeses: Cheddar and Parmesan. They make an ideal aperitif snack. May 8th 2016107 K4.4 40 min.
Fish "à la Bordelaise"
Fish "à la Bordelaise" is a fillet topped with a crust of breadcrumbs, herbs and onions cooked in white wine, then oven-baked until golden brown. It is a classic frozen family meal that many French children have grown up with, but here is a home-made version that is far better. February 20th 2019113 K4.4 1 hour 7 min.
Turmeric risotto
A colourful and tasty risotto made with turmeric, and pumpkin and sunflower seeds. May 19th 201993 K3.5 60 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2026-04-12)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.