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Pita bread is a type of flatbread believed to have originated in the Middle East around 2500 BCE, making it one of the oldest types of bread in the world. Archaeologists have found evidence of flatbreads made by ancient civilizations across the Middle East and Mediterranean, including the Egyptians and Sumerians.
The term "pita" is a Greek word, which means "pie" or "bread". This might suggest that the Greeks adopted this form of bread from their Middle Eastern neighbors. The bread is a staple in many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines today, including those of Greece, Türkiye, Lebanon, and Syria.
VARIATIONS OF Pita
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Ladenia is a type of soft flatbread that’s topped with tomato slices, onions, and a generous drizzle of Greek olive oil. Hailing from Kimolos, this savory delicacy is considered to be the Greek take on Italian pizza, and it is believed to date back to the time of the Venetian occupation of the island.
The dough is typically made with flour, yeast, water, and salt, although some versions also call for the addition of olive oil to the combination. Homemade tomato paste is often used in case there are no fresh tomatoes, while some people tend to enhance the simple tomato-onion topping with the addition of capers and peppers.
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Tiganopsomo is a Greek version of fried bread. It is usually prepared with leavened dough consisting of wheat flour, olive oil, and salt that is rolled into a circle while the center is filled with crumbled feta and herbs such as oregano, rosemary, parsley, mint, or sage.
Large disks are then fried in olive oil until golden and crispy. This bread is traditionally served for breakfast, and it is usually sprinkled with sesame seeds or drizzled with honey or balsamic vinegar. Some varieties may come without a filling, and feta can be replaced with mizithra cheese.
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Koulouri Thessalonikis is a traditional street food staple and their national take on simit—a similar circular bread found in Turkey. In its simplest form, koulouri is made with wheat flour dough that is shaped into a ring before it is coated in sesame seeds and baked.
This Greek version is believed to have traveled with Greek refugees from Asia Minor who first settled in Thessaloniki, hence the name. The origin is still disputed between the two countries, but the Greeks have implemented this crunchy and filling snack in their national cuisine.
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Lagana is a traditional flatbread that is usually associated with Clean Monday—the first day of Lent. The bread is made with wheat flour, and although it was primarily unleavened and did not include dairy or oil, modern varieties are often prepared with olive oil and yeast.
The bread is oval-shaped and flat, and the top is typically pressed with fingers to create small indentations. Optional ingredients often include olives and various herbs, but sesame seeds are the most common topping. The exact origin of this ancient Greek bread is still vague, but its first written reference dates back to 5th century BC when it was mentioned in a poem written by a Greek poet Aristophanes, while the name lagana stems from the ancient Greco-Roman term laganon that denoted a similar thin flatbread.
Tiropsomo is a traditional bread with feta cheese. It's made with a combination of white flour, crumbled feta, yeast, honey, olive oil, oregano, and salt. Once formed, the dough is left to rise, and it's then placed into a shallow oven dish brushed with olive oil.
Before it's baked until golden brown, the dough is sprinkled with feta and oregano. Tiropsomo can be eaten on its own, but it's often served as an accompaniment to fasolada (bean soup) along with olives.
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Greek paximadi is a twice-baked rusk that is traditionally made with barley, but modern-day versions may employ various flour types and significantly vary in form and size. Paximadi comes in both savory and sweet versions that are often flavored with citrus zest, anise, or chocolate.
It can be enjoyed as a snack or an accompaniment to various dishes, and before serving it is often soaked in water, white wine, or olive oil. Though paximadi is eaten throughout the country, Kritiko paximadi is especially praised for its quality and can only be produced and made on Crete.
VARIATIONS OF Paximadi
MOST ICONIC Paximadi
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Eliopsomo is a traditional bread made with flour, water, yeast, salt, black olives, and flavorings such as honey and rosemary. The saltiness of the olives pairs extremely well with the slightly sweet honey bread dough. The bread can be used for the preparation of sandwiches, paired with feta cheese and olive oil, or it can be used for dipping it into a combination of olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper.
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Also known as the Cretan biscuit, Kritiko paximadi is a bread product made with either wholemeal barley flour or a combination of barley, wheat, and oat flour. The origins of paximadi can be traced to the ancient times when barley rusks were the staple of farmers, shepherds and Cretan sailors.
Being twice-baked, these rusks could be preserved for long periods of time without losing their quality and for this reason paximadi became the daily bread of families that could not bake on a regular basis. Kritiko paximadi is still the base of Greek and Mediterranean diet, and it is usually softened with water, wine, or olive oil before consumption.
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Eptazimo is a traditional bread with a unique preparation method, where the dough is kneaded seven times (the name "eptazimo" comes from the Greek word "epta" - seven) before baking. What also sets eptazimo apart from other breads is that it is leavened without yeast.
Instead, it relies on a natural fermentation process od chickpeas to create a leavening effect. The dough is often flavored with aromatic ingredients such as anise and ouzo, giving it a distinctive, slightly sweet, and fragrant taste. Eptazimo is known for its dense texture and is considered a rare, ancient bread recipe that has its roots in Byzantine culinary traditions.
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 15 Greek Breads” list until March 15, 2025, 1,451 ratings were recorded, of which 760 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.