Traditional Cypriot Flaouna Recipe (Flaounes)

Method11 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Prepare the cheese filling the night before, or early enough to refrigerate it for at least 4–5 hours. Choose one cheese route: 500 g Flaounas cheese alone, OR 250 g plain halloumi together with 250 g mild cheddar. Finely grate only the chosen cheese supply into a bowl; the two routes are alternatives.

   Uses 500 g Flaounas cheese; use this alone OR the separate 250 g halloumi plus 250 g mild cheddar alternative · 250 g plain halloumi, finely grated; use together with 250 g mild cheddar instead of the 500 g Flaounas cheese · 250 g mild cheddar, finely grated; use together with 250 g plain halloumi instead of the 500 g Flaounas cheese

2. 2

   Step 2: Mix the chosen grated cheeses thoroughly with the 2 beaten filling eggs, 120 g raisins, 1 tsp chopped fresh mint, the filling 1 tsp ground mastic, filling 1 tsp ground mahlab and ¼ cup semolina. Keep the separate filling teaspoon of baking powder aside until after chilling.

   Uses Finely grated chosen filling cheese route · 2 eggs, beaten, for the filling · 120 g raisins for the filling · 1 tsp chopped fresh mint for the filling · 1 tsp mastic, finely ground, for the filling · 1 tsp mahlab, finely ground, for the filling · ¼ cup semolina for the filling

3. 3

   Step 3: Cover the mixed filling and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 4–5 hours before assembly. Keep it refrigerated while preparing and proving the dough.

   Refrigerate filling for at least 4–5 hours; overnight is an alternative · 300 minUses Mixed raw cheese-egg-semolina filling without baking powder

4. 4

   Step 4: When ready to prepare the dough, sift the 500 g dough flour into a large bowl. Mix in the 1 pinch dough salt, 1 tsp dough baking powder, 1 tsp ground dough mahlab and 1 tsp ground dough mastic.

   Uses 500 g plain flour for the dough · 1 pinch salt for the dough · 1 tsp baking powder for the dough · 1 tsp mahlab, finely ground, for the dough · 1 tsp mastic, finely ground, for the dough

5. 5

   Step 5: Gently work the 125 g melted butter, cooled to lukewarm, and the 2 dough eggs into the dry dough mixture with your fingers. Dissolve the one sachet easy-bake yeast with the 1 tsp yeast sugar in the 60 ml lukewarm water, then add this mixture to the dough. Add about 80 ml lukewarm milk. Use lukewarm liquids to preserve the yeast.

   Uses Sifted dry dough mixture · 125 g butter, melted and cooled to lukewarm · 2 eggs for the dough · 1 sachet easy-bake yeast; sachet mass unspecified · 1 tsp sugar for dissolving the yeast · 60 ml water, lukewarm, for dissolving the yeast · About 80 ml milk, lukewarm, for kneading

6. 6

   Step 6: Knead the dough gently for a few minutes until firm and cohesive. Keep its shortbread-like texture by avoiding prolonged kneading. If it is too wet, add only a little of the separate extra flour as needed.

   Uses Mixed butter-egg-yeast dough · A little extra plain flour only if the dough is too wet; amount unspecified

7. 7

   Step 7: Cover the complete dough with cling film and let it rise for 1–2 hours, until almost doubled in size. Keep the cheese filling refrigerated during this rise and wait until its required chill is complete before assembling.

   First dough rise until almost doubled · 120 minUses Complete gently kneaded flaouna dough

8. 8

   Step 8: Once both the filling chill and first dough rise are complete, take the filling from the fridge and thoroughly mix in its reserved 1 tsp filling baking powder. Roll the risen dough into thin sheets and cut into rectangles about 12 × 12 cm, approximately 5 inches on each side. Put the measured ½ cup sesame seeds on a small plate for coating the outside of the pastry.

   Uses Chilled raw cheese filling · 1 tsp baking powder for the filling, added after chilling · Risen flaouna dough · ½ cup sesame seeds for coating the outside of the pastry

9. 9

   Step 9: Whisk the separate single glazing egg. Brush the outer side of each pastry rectangle with some of that same egg, then press that side onto the prepared plate of sesame seeds. Put a handful of the finished cheese filling in the centre with sesame facing outwards. Brush the edges with a little more of the same glazing egg and fold, pinching the corners together. Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling to make about 12 pieces. Use the one glazing egg and same ½ cup sesame supply across the batch.

   Uses Prepared filling, cut pastry rectangles and measured sesame coating supply · Some of the single whisked glazing egg for outer pastry and folded edges

10. 10

    Step 10: Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and arrange all the shaped flaounes on it. Let them rise for about 30–45 minutes. During the final rise, preheat the oven to 200°C.

    Final rise of shaped flaounes before baking · 45 minUses Shaped unbaked sesame-coated flaounes · Greaseproof baking paper to line the baking tray

11. 11

    Step 11: Bake the proved flaounes in the preheated 200°C oven for about 40 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and baked through and the cheese-egg filling is set.

    Bake flaounes after the oven reaches 200°C · 40 minUses Final-proved tray of unbaked flaounes