In Crete, ‘dagoulakia’ refers to crispy rusks, these delightful and aromatic bread crisps enjoyed by people of all ages. They are commonly savoured dipped in boiled milk or tea, or served as a delightful treat or accompaniment to coffee and tsikoudia.

Ingredients:

• Sourdough or fresh yeast

• Approximately 1 kg of all-purpose flour

• 1 glass of sugar or honey

• 1 wine glass of olive oil

• 1 wine glass (2 tablespoons) of ash infusion made from natural wood, or 1 wine glass of orange juice

• 1 1/2 glasses of cinnamon-clove mixture (made with 2 cinnamon sticks and 4 cloves)

• 1 cup of lemon zest

• 1/2 teaspoon of crushed mastic

Procedure:

Step 1

To prepare the sourdough follow these steps: Combine the sourdough with lukewarm water in a large bowl, and add enough flour to form a thick porridge. Allow it to rise in a warm place, covered with a cloth. If you don't have sourdough, you can use 75 grams of fresh yeast instead.

Step 2

Sift the flour and prepare the cinnamon-infused water: boil the water with the cinnamon, then drain and let it cool.

Step 3

Prepare the ash infusion: sift the ash and boil it with water, then let it cool, settle, and strain it.

Step 4

As soon as the dough rises, add the remaining ingredients. Slowly incorporate the flour and knead until it forms a soft dough that doesn't stick to your hands.

Step 5

Divide the dough into equal parts and shape them into elongated cylindrical buns. Use a knife to score vertical slices on top of each bun. Arrange the buns on a baking pan lined with parchment paper, leaving some space between them as they will expand during baking.

Step 6

Bake the buns at 170 degrees Celsius on the middle rack for 30-35 minutes, or until they are golden brown.

Allow them to cool, then by hand, break them into pieces to form dagoulakia.

Place the dagoulakia back into the baking pan and let them bake again for 30 to 40 minutes at 75 degrees Celsius, until they become crispy rusks.

Lena Igoumenaki

President of the Cretan Cuisine Festival Association