Greek Dutch Oven Bread – Traditional Crusty Homemade Loaf

This Greek Dutch oven bread, known in Greece as Psomi sti Gastra, is one of the simplest and most rewarding breads you can bake at home. With just a handful of ingredients — flour, yeast, olive oil, and water — you’ll get a golden, crusty loaf with a soft and airy interior. The secret is baking it in a Dutch oven (or clay pot with a lid), which traps the steam and creates the perfect artisan-style crust without professional tools. It’s the kind of bread that fills your kitchen with irresistible aromas and brings the authentic taste of a Greek village straight to your table.

Greek Dutch Oven Bread – Traditional Crusty Homemade Loaf

Recipe by George Zolis

5.0 from 8 votes

Course: BreadCuisine: GreekDifficulty: Easy

Servings

16

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

Calories

210

kcal

Resting Time

40

minutes

Total time

2

hours 

Crusty Greek Dutch oven bread made with simple ingredients. Easy, homemade recipe for soft and airy bread with a golden crust.

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Ingredients

Metric US

• 1 kg 8 cup All-purpose Flour

• 100 g 3/4 cup Flour (for kneading)

• 16 g 0.55 oz Dry Yeast

• 20 g 1 1/2 tbsp Sugar

• 20 g 1 tbsp Salt

• 50 g 3 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil

• 720 g 3 cup Water, lukewarm

How to make Greek Bread

• In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast, sugar, salt, water, and olive oil. Mix until a dough forms.
• Cover with a towel and let the dough rest for at least 40 minutes to rise.
• Lightly flour your work surface, knead gently, and shape the dough to fit your Dutch oven.
• Preheat oven to 220°C / 425°F. Place the empty Dutch oven inside to heat up. While it preheats, let the dough rest again.
• Line the hot Dutch oven with parchment paper and carefully place the dough inside. Spray with water, sprinkle sesame seeds (optional), and score the surface with a sharp knife.
• Cover with the lid and bake at 220°C / 425°F for 30–35 minutes.
• Remove the lid, reduce the heat to 180°C / 350°F, and bake for another 30 minutes until golden.
• Let cool on a rack before slicing.

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🥖 Why Bake Greek Bread in a Dutch Oven?

The Dutch oven (or gastra, the Greek clay pot with a lid) has been used for centuries in Greek kitchens. By trapping steam during baking, it creates the ideal environment for bread: a crispy crust on the outside and a tender, airy crumb inside. It’s the traditional way villagers baked bread in wood-fired ovens, and now you can replicate the same results in your home oven.

🌿 Benefits of This Recipe

• Simple ingredients: flour, yeast, water, olive oil.
• Artisan-style crust: crispy on the outside, fluffy inside.
• No special skills needed: even beginners can succeed.
• Versatile: perfect for breakfast, sandwiches, or serving with Greek dips.
• Traditional & authentic: connects you to the Greek way of breadmaking.

🍽️ How to Serve

This bread is wonderfully versatile. Serve it warm with olive oil and oregano for a classic Greek snack. It pairs perfectly with soups, stews, or as the base for Greek sandwiches with feta, tomato, and olives. Slice it thick for breakfast toast, or serve it on a meze table with tzatziki, taramasalata, or melitzanosalata.

🥄 Variations

• Whole wheat version: Replace part of the flour with whole wheat.
• Seed topping: Add sesame, flax, or sunflower seeds before baking.
• Herbs inside: Mix in oregano, rosemary, or thyme for Mediterranean aroma.

❓ FAQ Section