Bread is the simplest and at the same time our most beloved food. From the small piece that we pinch with our hand when the loaf is still steaming to pites that will accompany a plate of cooked food. The taste and smell of bread is always there not only to cure our hunger but also to make us feel warm.
For all these reasons, the search for good bread is a priority. We are all looking for a well-made and nutritious bread, whatever our particular tastes or specialised dietary needs.
Below you will find 6 places in Athens that offer excellent breads and more, as recommended by Olive Magazine.
The Black Salami Microbakery
In the heart of Exarchia is the bakery of Antonis Kazakos and Bruno Pezzia. All their doughs is made from natural yeast and does not contain leavening agents.
They use flour from Turin, 100% Italian wheat, while their oil is from Mani, from the village of Gaitses. They offer many choices of bread, different types of focaccia but also flatbread.
Among the highlights, the handmade pies, the sandwiches containing special cold meats and cheeses, in imaginative combinations, and the delicious options for brunch such as eggs benedict, avocado toast and cayenne that you can enjoy at the outside counter of the store or take away.
71 Zoodochou Pigis, Exarchia, tel.: 211 4187956
Kora
Their trademark sourdough breads has near daily queues. At Kora, they make bread with Italian and Greek flour of the highest quality using their own slow-ripening yeast (at least 20 hours). This way, the bread retains its nutrients for more days and stays fresh for up to a whole 10 days.
Classic wheat, rye, wholemeal, oat and focaccia are the types available. The ultimate delicacy is the chocolate bread where the classic sourdough is enriched with dark chocolate, cocoa and honey, while you can't resist the croissants made with excellent quality French butter.
44 Panagiotou Anagnostopoulou, Athens, tel.: 210 3627 855
Betty's Bakery
The modern workshop of Elisavet Koulouris in Gazi produces all kinds of bread, and only with natural leaven. The eleven different breads it offers are equally tasty and extremely nutritious.
The superbread made exclusively from nuts and superfood (without any flour) is the most special.
The white one with thyme and olive oil is fluffy and particularly aromatic and the loaf with carob and walnuts is rich in protein and fiber.
All Betty's breads are made with pure flour, without preservatives and additives, which come mainly from small Greek producers.
Upon order, she makes her breads available at home via delivery, we also find them in selected shops in Athens.
10 Kassandras, Gazi, tel.: 210 3424 832
Αρτοποιότης ο Τάκης (Baker Takis)
This bakery in Koukaki has been baking authentic traditional bread for fifty years. On its shelves we find daily more than 30 items, made with sourdough, yeast or a combination of the two. The classic country style is one of the most loved by Takis' fanatical customers.
Octa-seed, German, ten-seed and baguettes are also becoming popular.
Of the rest of the pastries, the most famous is the kourou cheese pie with its buttery dough and delicious filling. As for the fluffy cakes (15 different kinds) and crunchy scones, no one can resist them, especially early in the morning when they are freshly baked and warm.
14 Misaraliotou, Koukaki, tel.: 210 9230 052
Αρτοποιία Δαρεμά (Darema Bakery)
In this bakery the bread is made with first quality flour without preservatives and additives and takes its time to leaven naturally and bake properly. The whole wheat yeast is crunchy with a full flavour while the multigrain, with a low glycemic index, is rich in nutrients.
The Darema mustokoulours, which are leavened with pure virgin olive oil and flavoured with cinnamon cloves, are also extremely popular. Wine buns, orange and vanilla buns with goat butter and cheese buns are just a few more of what this bakery also has and are worth trying.
2 Souniou Avenue, Markopoulo, tel.: 2299 025744
Λυκαβηττός (Lycavittos)
For almost four decades, Fournos Lycavittos in Kolonaki has been making excellent breads that have their own fanatical audience. Its flours come from Germany, Austria and also from selected Greek producers.
In total, it has over 35 types of bread. Heavy German bread, Metsovitiko croatiko, dinkel, multigrain low glycemic index, monastic and French baguettes are just some of the best sellers.
Its handmade village pies, croissants and fragrant cookies are becoming popular, as are always fresh and delicious cookies in various variations.
59 Deinokratous, Athens, tel.: 210 7211 348
READ MORE: Corinthian raisin - The medicinal Greek superfood.
