The first “hello” of Lent
Clean Monday marks the first day of Great Lent in Eastern Christianity and in Greece it’s often celebrated outdoors — with a Lenten table and kite flying.
At the center of that table is lagana: the traditional sesame flatbread closely linked with Clean Monday.
Why it looks like focaccia
Lagana is frequently compared to Italian focaccia — it’s flat, dimpled, and built for toppings and dips.
The difference is in the “Lenten character”: lagana tends to be simpler, letting sesame and a crisp crust shine.
Three small secrets for great lagana
Hydration matters:
soft dough = better crumb.
Rest time:
gives you a lighter texture.
Generous sesame + hot oven:
for color and crunch
A simple, no-stress homemade lagana (2 loaves)
Ingredients:
-
500 g flour (or a mix with some hard flour)
-
7–8 g dry yeast
-
1 tsp sugar
-
10 g salt
-
320–340 ml lukewarm water
-
2–3 tbsp olive oil (optional)
-
Sesame seeds for topping
Για το άλειμμα: λίγο νερό + (προαιρετικά) 1 κ.γ. ζάχαρη ή λίγο πετιμέζι αραιωμένο
Steps:
-
Activate yeast with sugar and a little warm water (5–10’).
-
Mix flour + salt, add liquids, knead until soft and elastic.
-
Cover and rise 45–60’.
-
Shape into two flat ovals/rectangles, press dimples with fingertips.
-
Brush lightly with water (optionally sweetened), coat with sesame.
-
Bake at 200–220°C for ~15–20’ until golden.
Steps:
-
Activate yeast with sugar and a little warm water (5–10’).
-
Mix flour + salt, add liquids, knead until soft and elastic.
-
Cover and rise 45–60’.
-
Shape into two flat ovals/rectangles, press dimples with fingertips.
-
Brush lightly with water (optionally sweetened), coat with sesame.
-
Bake at 200–220°C for ~15–20’ until golden.
Best pairings for a Lenten table
-
Taramasalata, tahini, olives, pickles,
-
fava, roasted vegetables, halva — and
-
(where customary) seafood.
Simple dough, honest ingredients, and the joy of sharing — that’s lagana. Happy Lent and happy kite flying!