Dactyla - Greek village and country bread

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In Greece, Dactyla is popular as a country or village bread. It translates as 'fingers' (δάχτυλα). You'll also find it in Turkey and Cyprus. 

It gets its name from the way it is formed prior to final proofing...representing 'fingers' of dough that can be torn apart and eaten. 

It's made with a blend of country flours: strong white, wholemeal and cornmeal, which gives it a distinctive taste, texture and colour.  Finally, it's topped with sesame and nigella seeds. 

INGREDIENTS

Sponge:

75 gms wholemeal / wholegrain flour

75 gms yellow cornmeal

9 gms of dried yeast or 5 gms of instant yeast

150 gms tepid water

Dough: 

350 gms strong white bread flour

200 gms tepid water

10 gms fine sea salt

14 gms olive oil

20 gms runny honey

10 gms dried milk

As a topping: 

milk or egg/water wash

sesame seeds ('raw' or toasted)

Nigella seeds (optional) 

METHOD

1. Prepare the sponge. 

Add the wholemeal and cornmeal to a bowl and mix in the water. Add the yeast and cover. Leave until foamy and full of bubbles. 

2. Prepare the dough

Add the remaining ingredients to the foamy sponge and mix thoroughly. 

Knead until you have a soft and silky dough. (You may need to add a little more water- watch the dough and judge this for yourself) 

3. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and place in a warm spot until it has doubled in volume. 

4. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Weigh the dough and divide it into 8 equal pieces. 

5. Roll each piece into a ball and then coax it into a finger-roll shape about 4 inches in length. 

6. Place side by side on a prepared baking sheet, so that the rolls are just touching. 

7. Cover with a cloth and allow to proof in a warm place until they have doubled in size. 

8. Preheat the oven to 190⁰C. 

9. Brush the top of the bread with milk and then sprinkle on sesame seeds. be generous with the seeds. 

10. Bake for 30 minutes until it is golden brown and hollow when tapped underneath. 

You can see why they sometimes call it 'The Caterpillar Loaf'

11. Cool on a rack. 

Happy baking....Καλό ψήσιμο