Breakfast
Pain à la Grecque
Ingredients
- - 400 g Strong white bread flour (3¼ cups)
- - 150 ml Whole milk (2/3 cup)
- - 15 g Fresh yeast (0.5 oz)
- - 100 g Unsalted butter, softened (1/2 cup)
- - 100 g Light brown sugar (1/2 cup)
- - 5 g Fine sea salt (1 tsp)
- - 10 g Ground cinnamon (4 tsp)
- - 60 g Demerara sugar, for topping (1/4 cup)
Method
- Warm the milk and dissolve the yeast in it; leave for 5 minutes.
- Mix flour, salt and half the brown sugar in a bowl. Add the milk mixture and knead for 8 minutes until smooth.
- Work in the softened butter gradually, kneading until fully incorporated and elastic.
- Prove covered for 1 hour until doubled. Shape into a loaf and place in a greased loaf tin.
- Prove again for 30 minutes, then bake at 200°C (400°F) for 30 minutes until golden. Cool completely.
- Slice the cooled loaf thinly. Mix cinnamon with demerara sugar and scatter over each slice.
- Return slices to a low oven at 150°C (300°F) for 15–20 minutes until dry and crisp, turning once.
Introduction: Despite its name, this crisp, cinnamon-sugar biscuit-bread has no Greek origin — it takes its name from
'grecht', an old Walloon word for a drainage ditch near the Verviers bakeries where it was first made.
Cultural Background: Despite its name, this crisp, cinnamon-sugar biscuit-bread has no Greek origin — it takes its name from
'grecht', an old Walloon word for a drainage ditch near the Verviers bakeries where it was first made. It is
traditionally eaten dunked in coffee at breakfast.
Tips: The loaf must be fully cooled before slicing thin, or it will tear. Twice-baking is what gives the characteristic crunch — don't skip it.
Variations: Add orange zest to the dough for a citrus note. Vegan version: substitute plant butter and oat milk.
Vegetarian/Vegan: Naturally vegetarian.
Storage: Keeps in an airtight tin for up to 3 weeks — it improves with a few days' rest.
Reheating: Not required; served at room temperature as a crisp biscuit.
Nutrition: Per slice: approx. 140 kcal, 2g protein, 4g fat, 24g carbohydrate, 10g sugar.
FAQs:
Q: Why twice-bake it?
A: The second bake dries the slices into a crisp, long-lasting biscuit similar to rusk or biscotti.
Q: Can I use a bread machine for the dough?
A: Yes, run it on a basic dough cycle, then shape and bake by hand.