eftázymo

Eftázymois a special kind of bread made on Crete for 15 August, the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, one of the biggest holidays in Greece. Instead of yeast it's made with fermented chick peas, chopped and whisked into a flour. Left in a warm place, the chick peas make a foam that will make the dough rise; before being baked, the bread is topped with black sesame seeds.

άζυμο (ázimo) means without yeast; εφτά (eftá) 'seven' they say, comes from how many times it should be kneaded, or how many hours you need to wait. It's tricky to make. Some say the secret is adding a pinch of clean ash to the mix.

Also spelled επτάζυμο (eptázymo).