Recipe Update from June 20, 2008
One of Crete’s most popular gifts to Greek cuisine is the Cretan Dakos. Dakos are a twice baked rusk made of whole wheat or barley flour.
Dakos or Paximadi have been known in Crete since the Middle Ages. These rusk-like rolls are shaped into rings and baked once before being sliced in two and dried slowly in a cooling oven.
Dakos are Greece’s own Bruschetta. When preparing a Dakos, be generous with the extra-virgin olive oil and allow a couple of moments for them to become thoroughly impregnated. Not only does it provide the bread with a great taste but it prevents the juices of the tomatoes from making the bread soggy (crunchy is good here).
Cretan Dakos
(serves 4)
4 Cretan Dakos
Extra-virgin olive oil
clove of garlic
4 very ripe, sweet tomatoes
1 cup crumbled Feta cheese (fresh Cretan Mizithra cheese would make it the real deal)
dried Greek Oregano
Kalamata olives
capers
- Fill a medium sized bowl with water dip the dakos in the water for a couple of seconds then place on a plate.
- Now generously drizzle extra-virgin olive oil onto each Dako and allow for the oil to soak in for a few minutes.
- Make a puree of fresh tomato using the side of your box grater with the largest holes and discard the skin (or dice the tomatoes if you want more texture). (Optional: add some minced garlic or onion into your tomato mix)
- Spoon the tomato puree onto each Dako.
- Now top with crumbled Greek Feta and dried Greek oregano.
- Garnish with Kalamata olives or capers or both.
61 Responses
well done, Peter, now you’ve got the perfect summer snack food – we have these every night after swimming lessons – you are now an honorary cretan!
that looks fabulous – mmm – have to visit Crete!!
Nice work Peter! Looks good… and you were absolutely correct, this is Greece’s “bruschetta”! :)
These look really interesting and delicious! I’d love to visit Crete.
this is perfect for summer picnics on the beach! the more i am tempted to to go to Greece everytime I see those delicious greek recipes ala Peter :-)
We Italians have a version of this called taralli. The dough is made with white and wheat flour and some kind of wine or vermouth. We dress them with olive oil, garlic and tomatoes too. They were my Dad’s favorites. :)
Great take on a Cretan classic…lets hope they don’t come after you now that you added garlic…
Now those I could eat – along with everything else on your blog (good job I don’t live with you Peter or I’d be a hundred weight by now lol.
Must be too early for me; I read the bit where you say ‘An abundance of local and seasonal fruits’ as ‘An abundance of Alcohol’…….OMG I thought! Would be good tho?!
Those look delicious and interesting Peter! I wish you lived closer so you could make some for me. I am a hopeless yeast baker!
These look fabulous. The flavors are some of my favorite, and I, too, would add the garlic. I think I’d have trouble not eating some of the bread before putting it back in the oven for the second bake, though. So much for patience, right? ;)
I’ve never heard of these but they look awesome! I’m with Marie on this one–c’mon down to Florida so I can steal your leftovers!
I’ve never heard of these but they look awesome! I’m with Marie on this one–c’mon down to Florida so I can steal your leftovers!
I’ve never heard of these but they look awesome! I’m with Marie on this one–c’mon down to Florida so I can steal your leftovers!
I’ve never heard of these but they look awesome! I’m with Marie on this one–c’mon down to Florida so I can steal your leftovers!
I’ve never heard of these but they look awesome! I’m with Marie on this one–c’mon down to Florida so I can steal your leftovers!
I’ve never heard of these but they look awesome! I’m with Marie on this one–c’mon down to Florida so I can steal your leftovers!
I’ve never heard of these but they look awesome! I’m with Marie on this one–c’mon down to Florida so I can steal your leftovers!
I’ve never heard of these but they look awesome! I’m with Marie on this one–c’mon down to Florida so I can steal your leftovers!
I’ve never heard of these but they look awesome! I’m with Marie on this one–c’mon down to Florida so I can steal your leftovers!
These look absolutely delicious! I’ll definitely have to check out Organically Cooked, as well.
Interesting… they look like halved bagels. I’ll bet they were yummy.
Unrelated note… I thought of you yesterday when we had Greek take-out. Just a gyros salad, nothing that can compete with Kalofagas for sure!! Also- I was poking around at a Middle Eastern market the other day and discovered that they carried Haloumi (is that right?…the grilled cheese stuff?) Anyway, I was so excited because I had never seen it anywhere before and I remember seeing it on your blog. So we will be grilling that cheese on Sunday evening! Sorry for the ramble!!
Maria, thanks for the honour, do I get to do some “shooting practice” when down there?
Arundathi, even for Greeks..Crete is another world.
Sam, no offense to bruschetta but I’m sure Dakos has been around longer (Minoan evidence).
Susan, I think 2009 is the year for Crete.
Dhanngit, these are wonderful appetizers or snacks…healthy too!
Sticky, I’ve never heard of taralli – they sound yum!
Pete, I added the caveat, therefore I’ll escape any Cretan vendetta! ;)
Jan, no abundance of alcohol in the rules but everyone breaks rules…especially when it concerns booze!
Marie, I wished these had risen better but the next batch will be better!
Kelly, how did you know? I did sneak in a bite of the fresh baked Dakos.
Mike, is that an open invite? But then again…it’s damn hot down there right now.
Jen, you’ll really enjoy Maria’s blog.
Lori, these may look like bagels but taste far different. I’m sure you’ll love the Halloumi cheese.
These look wonderful as always… Dakos really are a great snack to have around, and according to the recipes I have for them they keep a good long time.
Greek food question: can you recommend an alternative to kefalotiri? I’m making kleftiko tomorrow night and can’t find the cheese anywhere here.
I’ve not heard of these tempting delights, but now I am obsessed by the idea of trying them. Thanks very much for sharing this with your readers.
Wow! So appetizing. I could go for one right now. I love hearing about other cultures too. It is exciting to know how many new interesting things there are out there.
Those almost look like bagels. They sound much more interesting though!
i agree w/ vicarious foodie… they really do look like bagels – maybe they are the original bagel? not to mention this whole thing reminds me of my favorite way to eat a bagel – topped with tomato and feta or cream cheese!
niiiiice.
Dakos look awesome! Ive visited Santorini, Athens, Mikonos, and Paros but I have never been to Crete… I hope to go someday!
Those dakos covered in tomato and feta look really tasty.
Fascinating post. I would LOVE to tour Greece someday and the island of Crete. Actually, I have a growing list of places to see and reading entries like this just pique my curiosity more and more.
I’m especially intrigued by the Mediterranean region and it sounds like Crete could become the poster island of sustainable agriculture.
Peter, Peter – You’ve been TAGGED! Take a look at my blog!
I think I would really like Greek Bruschetta. That looks wonderful!
This seriously looks like a NY flagel with incredible steroids. What a wonderful thing this is.
I learn so much on your blog. It’s an education, really! A lovely, tasty, education.
These look like Greek bagels to me — how cool! The topping looks delicious, too.
What a great new lesson here again…I never knew about a Cretan diet! These do look so awesome, fresh and colorful! It has everything that I love, especially the clove of garlic scraped on the Dako!!
In Puglia, the heel of Italy, you find exactly the same thing called Friselle and it is delicious! Maybe not so strange as there were and still are Greek colonies there!
Well done Peter! I love your love for a simple and old greek recipes.
Amazing! These look like so much fun! I am going to have to make them soon.
Very nice! Now you made me very hungry.
Great write-up on Crete, Peter! Thanks for bringing Dakos to the Web. This recipe is appealing on so many levels, as is the Cretan diet. Beautiful presentation with the olives in the middle. Thanks!
Peter you got me all excited! I’ve been thinking about Dakos for a long time now and I’ve also come up with a dressing for it. I was just wainting for a perfect Dakos recipe and I can now see my patience is paying off. Thanks so much for sharing! I cannot help but LOOOVE Greek food :D
I would love to visit Crete for a daily dose of Dakos Peter. If I can’t do that then here I come TO.
Jessica, you’re right…they do keep well for a long time but can will they last?
Lisa, it’s popular all over Greece.
Nicole, lots of gems to expose from the Greek kitchen.
Vicarious, yes they do but a different baking method.
Amy & Jonny, almost… hold the moyl, throw in a Greek and call them Dakos!
Lina, Crete deserves a 2 week visit…it’s big.
Kevin, I think I’ll have another one right now.
Sandie, Crete is definiitely a highlight of Greece.
Jan, Tagged? OUCH!
Judy, would you like me to bring you some?
Giz, all comparisons end with the look, these are delish.
Pam, thanks…I’m just opening up the door to real Greek food.
Lydia, wonderful snacks and offerings to guests.
White Rice Duo…of all the Greeks – Cretans live longest!
Flanboyant – I’m with ya…garrrlic!
Ilva, I’ve heard of the Pugliese and some villages still speaking with some Greek words. There are even tours from Greece with these towns as the focus.
Janulka, thanks…we have some simples gems like this to enjoy.
Eat, watch them vanish quickly.
Lisa, that’s my intention – eat Greek!
Angela, you’re very welcome…I hope you’ll try them out!
Lore, that sounds wonderful and I hope to see your result.
Val, the patio deck awaits you.
that sounds like a perfect diet. Those dakos looks like thin crispy bagels though I’m sure they are better for you
Very nice Peter I can almost taste them now.
That must have been lot’s of work Peter. Looks like I could feed a crowd with these.
They llok like light and airy bagels. My father spent some time in Crete long ago and its been a place on my to visit list.
I’m learning so much from your blog! Fabulous.
Peter, this recipe has my mouth watering!! I love it and the beautiful fresh toppings! Brill!
You made dakos by yourself?? You are unbelievable!!!! Super!!
I usually buy dakos and then put tomato, feta cheese, onion,oregano,olives and some oil on it, never have I tried to make dakos by myself!
I would love to try this, but I would like my dakos a little thicker. Do you think it will bake properly or is it going to be too hard?
Kat, these are another great snack and a wonderful appetizer or meze to serve.
Jeena, I’ll taste one for ya!
Helene, it wasn’t too hard to make.
Glam, ask him about Cretan Dakos, he would have eaten them there.
Kalyn, glad to have shown you something new.
The chase, simple is best has won out here again.
Elena, efharisto…I made them because the packages of Dakos we buy are usually broken, so I made my own. I wish I were in Greece now…I’ll be there in August.
Ioanna, they should be thicker, yes. I placed them in a warm oven (too warm of an oven) and it retarded the bread-rising process. A minor mistake I will not repeat.
As for being too hard…you can control how hard or soft you wish your Dakos to be when you dry them out in the second baking.
Like Ilva, I looked at the photo and said to myself: friselle. The Mediterranean network of food traditions.
Those would disappear in 2 seconds around here.
I like the olive!
Those looks really good…and it doesn’t help that it is about lunch time here. They looks reasonable easy too – a lot of stuff you’d have on hand.
Go to Crete – you will not be disappointed. Just avoid July and August and the couple of touristy spots (which isn’t hard – Crete is a big island and there is sth for every taste). Btw Cretans usually prepare their Dako with a kind of cheese that’s called mizithra (or xynomizithra in the West). But Feta is just fine as well.
this looks great and id love to try this – i found this site as i was looking for the recipe for those square sturdy little chunky husks they originally make for the sailors on crete – do you know if this is the same dough?