Bread-Making Art: Food Photography at Betty’s Bakery Athens for Gastronomos
Meet Elisavet Koulouri, the inspiring force behind Betty’s Bakery in Athens. Gastronomos magazine feature her in it pages as the She’s a new-generation baker who’s poured her passion into mastering the art of handmade sourdough bread. With a background in communication and marketing, and an impressive career trajectory that included positions at the European Union, Elisavet took a bold turn. She left behind a corporate future to dedicate herself to something simple yet profound: bread—a craft that food photography beautifully captures, revealing the artistry in every loaf.
At Betty’s Bakery, each loaf tells its own story, and food photography allows us to share the details of this process visually. Elisavet is one of the first in Athens to specialize in handmade sourdough, crafting each batch with 100% organic flour, rose salt, and water—and a whole lot of care. The process takes over 100 hours, nurturing the microorganisms in ideal temperature and humidity conditions to achieve the perfect pH balance. The result is bread that’s dense, full-bodied, and packed with the natural aroma of stone-ground flour, complemented by a crispy crust that delights chefs, food critics, and customers alike. Capturing these textures and flavors through photography emphasizes the quality and dedication behind every loaf.
Sustainability is at the heart of Betty’s Bakery. Every product has a clear origin: from the organic flour to the Greek extra virgin olive oil, herbs, and spices, each ingredient is sourced from top Greek producers. She even goes a step further by having her bread delivered throughout Athens by bicycle, minimizing environmental impact—a moment of delivery worth capturing through food photography for its unique character.
Following the rhythms of nature, Elisavet’s creations change with the seasons. You’ll find bread infused with lavender and honey in the spring and thyme or thrombi in the summer, making each loaf not only a celebration of flavor but a reflection of Greek terroir—perfectly suited to the expressive art of food photography.
Gastronomos cover June 2024
Cover photo for the new issue of Gastronomos Magazine
In this issue of Gastroonomos magazine, the editors, seek out the best cool escapes in Athens and put together a survival guide that will make summer in the city fun and enjoyable. Scattered all over Athens, crossed the coastline of Attica, swam at beaches, went on trips to parks and forests, went out for food and drinks in Athenian courtyards and rooftops, cooked the best food and appetizers for summer gatherings at home and envisioned a wonderful summer that is not squeezed into the few days of vacation in August.
- We eat on rooftops with a view, shady pedestrian streets and green courtyards!
Small culinary and aesthetic oases in Athens and its surroundings, to escape from the sea of cement, to enjoy great food, peace and coolness. We have found the best spots in Athens that combine good food and a nice environment, where the pulse of the city beats.
- Where are we going to eat after swim?
32 addresses for taverns with good food on our favorite beaches of Attica. Fresh fish, appetizers, meat, but also fine dining by the sea, for every taste and every wallet.
- Green Breaths! Where will I find some shade in the city?
We take the mountains, parks and groves of Attica, in known and unknown places of urban and peri-urban greenery, inside and outside the Basin, organized and "wild", for hiking, cycling and picnics with friends and children, for relaxation and relief from the city heat.
- Summer means hot
At Taverna ton Filon in Kolonos, we cook emblematic oils with a fresh look, from stuffed peppers with extra oily sauce, to pasta, legume salads, turlou, minced meat and gigantes, all cooked with generous doses of olive oil. On Sundays, we cook our favorite summer foods and set a table under the shade of the awning or arbor.
- Picnic snacks and beer snacks
In the green oases of the city and its surroundings, we spread checkered tablecloths and bring from home easy and satisfying snacks, from the timeless meatballs, to tarts and dip for our breadsticks, and we invite the company for leisurely hours in oases of peace and soothing coolness. And on nice evenings, friends gather on the balcony or the roof for beer and the necessary accompanying appetizers.
- 18 delicious adventures around Athens
Urban summer fairs and feasts, fresh, prime summer fruit straight from the tree, cheeses from the hands of the cheesemaker, rare heirloom varieties from passionate growers, visitable food farms for young and old, farm stands with fresh-picked vegetables, oysters at producer prices and fish from the boat. Attica in 18 culinary stops in the most unexpected places!
- Summer cinemas: An ode to global Greek originality and all the suggestions in Athens for cinephile nights smelling of jasmine, in summer cinemas that serve from homemade sour cream and handmade cheese pie, to delicious finger food and cool cocktails. And if you have an appetite and taste, we recommend amazing homemade sandwiches to take with you to the cinema, with summer ingredients in imaginative combinations.
- The Athens we love: Cool and easy summer cocktails on the balcony from our favorite Athens bartenders, the places in the city for deliciously iced, good coffee and bars for evening strolls for the drink that will end our Athenian days in a relaxed way.
- And also: Cool refrigerator sweets with creams, chocolates, jellies and ice cream, reminiscent of the motherly treats of our childhood but renewed and with a guilt-free freshness. And, of course, the June Recipe, with suggestions for every day of the month, simple, easy and quick, with the freshest seasonal ingredients.
Gastronomos June is released on Sunday, June 9 with Kathimerini.
Cover girl: Marina Petridou
Director of Culinary Publications: Angelos Rentoulas
Editor-in-Chief: Christina Tzialla
Art Director: Akrivi Kakkava
Photography & Features Producer: Nasia Diamantidis
Lost in Istanbul for Gastronomos Magazine
Istanbul or “Constantinople” is the combination of civilizations had passed and lived in all the previous centuries. But its not only up to the level of culture. Its a combination as well as geomorphological that spreads from one side to the other of the city. The city expresses this diversity in every corner of every street from Taksim Square and the commercial Insitklal to Galata Bridge and the unique atmosphere of Bosphorus. From the neighbourhoods of Pera and Sisli to the Phanar and the Patriarchate. If you want to go even further with your soul and your body the boat to Chalcedon is there, waiting for you to transfer to the depths of East … The uniqueness of Istanbul is that all the images in every corner of the city, complemented by a incessant stimulation of all senses. The prayers “Adnan” of the Imam, the smells of the market and the spices … Brings you to another level giving you a multi-dimensional experience.
The ultimate expression of the trip in Istanbul are the markets and the Bazaar! There are so many “images” and so relief, that the Grand Bazaar will make you get lost in it across of the 58 streets. In every exit you choose you have the chance to enjoy one of the city’s sights and observe its architecture … Agia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the “New Mosque” are the three main characteristics that describe architectural Istanbul and delimit Bosphorus. I left for last the unique experience of the Hammam… The discription with a single word is “ritual“ and a combination of all the above in a physical and mental purification procedure… The trip was for the Christmas tribute of Gastronomos magazine in cooperation with journalist Nena Demetriou.
or “Constantinople” is the combination of civilizations had passed and lived in all the previous centuries. But its not only up to the level of culture. Its a combination as well as geomorphological that spreads from one side to the other of the city. The city expresses this diversity in every corner of every street from Taksim Square and the commercial Insitklal to Galata Bridge and the unique atmosphere of Bosphorus. From the neighbourhoods of Pera and Sisli to the Phanar and the Patriarchate. If you want to go even further with your soul and your body the boat to Chalcedon is there, waiting for you to transfer to the depths of East … The uniqueness of Istanbul is that all the images in every corner of the city, complemented by a incessant stimulation of all senses. The prayers “Adnan” of the Imam, the smells of the market and the spices … Brings you to another level giving you a multi-dimensional experience.
The ultimate expression of the trip in Istanbul are the markets and the Bazaar! There are so many “images” and so relief, that the Grand Bazaar will make you get lost in it across of the 58 streets. In every exit you choose you have the chance to enjoy one of the city’s sights and observe its architecture … Agia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the “New Mosque” are the three main characteristics that describe architectural Istanbul and delimit Bosphorus. I left for last the unique experience of the Hammam… The discription with a single word is “ritual“ and a combination of all the above in a physical and mental purification procedure… The trip was for the Christmas tribute of Gastronomos magazine in cooperation with journalist Nena Demetriou.
