Recipe for Greek Shepherd’s Bread

Written by Greek Boston in Authentic Greek Food Recipes, Greek Pastry and Greek Cake Recipes Comments Off on Recipe for Greek Shepherd’s Bread

Versions of this bread have been baked in Greece for centuries. Like most older recipes, it doesn’t use yeast and has the baker ferment the ingredients slightly. Although recipes like this aren’t as popular as they used to be in Greece, they are still being made.

Greek Shepherd’s Bread (Artos Voskou) Recipe Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/2 cup Greek olive oil
• 1 cup wheat germ
• 1 cup oat bran
• 2 cups warm water
• 3 1/2 to 4 cups water

Instructions to Bake Greek Shepherd’s Bread:

Add the honey, salt, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, wheat germ, oat bran, and water to a large Mason jar. Cover the jar and store in a warm place in your kitchen.

Let the jar stand for about twenty hours to let the ingredients ferment together. After about twelve hours, you’ll notice that the mixture will begin to smell a little bit like beer. This is a normal part of the process.

Sift 1 1/2 cups of the flour. Remove the lid from the jar and stir in the flour. When the mixture is smooth, replace the lid and let the mixture stand for another four hours.

After four hours, transfer the dough to a mixing bowl. Stir in the flour. Keep adding flour until a smooth dough forms. Knead the dough for fifteen minutes on a well floured surface so it doesn’t stick.

Form the dough into two loaves. Brush a baking sheet with olive oil. Place the loaves a few inches apart on the baking sheet. Let the dough stand for four hours in a warm place.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the loaves in the center of the oven and bake until cooked all the way through. This should take 40-45 minutes.

**Please Note:  Recommended cook times for GreekBoston.com Greek recipes vary depending on elevation, environmental conditions, the cookware being used, and the nature of the oven or stove. Although we have given approximations, these don’t always take into account your unique environment.

Categorized in: Authentic Greek Food Recipes, Greek Pastry and Greek Cake Recipes

This post was written by Greek Boston