Cypriot Flaounes (Φλαούνες)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •large rimmed baking sheets
• •rolling pin
• •wide shallow tray for sesame seeds
• •kitchen scale

Instructions

1. 1

   Make Filling

   Mix the halloumi, anari, kefalotyri, semolina, yeast, baking powder, mint, mahlepi, and mastic in a wide bowl. Add the beaten eggs and mix until the filling holds together when pressed. It should be moist and firm, not wet. If it crumbles, add one more beaten egg a little at a time.

   If you have proper Cypriot flaouna cheese, use it for the mature cheese. If not, kefalotyri gives the salt and bite a Greek kitchen expects.
2. 2

   Rest Filling

   Cover the filling and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. This is what decides the flaouna. The semolina absorbs the eggs and cheese moisture, so the filling bakes high and set instead of leaking into the bread.

3. 3

   Prepare Sesame

   Put the sesame seeds in a bowl, cover with water, and stir in the vinegar. Drain after 10 minutes, rinse once, and spread the damp seeds on a tray. Damp sesame clings to the dough and bakes into a proper crust.

4. 4

   Mix Dough

   In a large bowl, mix the flour, yeast, salt, sugar, mahlepi, and mastic. Rub in the olive oil and butter until the flour feels sandy. Add the lukewarm milk and beaten egg, then knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and only lightly tacky.

5. 5

   Rise Dough

   Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until puffed and almost doubled. Don't rush it. Enriched dough moves slowly, and good olive oil and patience do better work than heat.

6. 6

   Shape Rounds

   Heat the oven to 190°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Divide the dough into 12 pieces, about 75g each, and roll each one into a round about 15cm wide. Press one side of each round into the damp sesame so the underside is fully coated.

7. 7

   Fill Flaounes

   Set each round sesame-side down. Place a generous mound of filling in the center, about 85g, then fold three or four sides of the dough up around it, leaving the middle open. Pinch the corners firmly. The flaounes should look sturdy and full, not tidy and thin.

8. 8

   Glaze And Bake

   Transfer the flaounes to the baking sheets with space between them. Brush the exposed dough and filling with the egg-milk glaze. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the trays halfway, until the sesame is toasted, the dough is deep gold, and the cheese filling is set and burnished on top.

9. 9

   Cool Briefly

   Let the flaounes rest on the tray for 10 minutes before serving. Eat them warm or at room temperature. The first one, warm from the tray after the Easter fast, is the cook's tax.

Chef Tips

• •Use the saltiest, firmest halloumi you can find, not a soft grill cheese pretending to be halloumi. Flaounes need a filling with backbone.
• •Raisins belong in some Cypriot houses and not in others. Add them if your table likes that sweet-salty Easter bread, leave them out if you want the sharper cheese version.
• •They keep for 3 days wrapped at room temperature, or freeze well once cooled. Rewarm in a moderate oven so the sesame wakes up again.

Advance Preparation

• •Make the cheese filling the night before; the dish is better for it.
• •The dough can be mixed and shaped the same morning, then baked close to serving.
• •Baked flaounes can be frozen for up to 2 months and reheated from thawed in a 170°C oven.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 180g)