Ingredients FOR THE DOUGH 650 gr hard or all-purpose flour 1 cube fresh yeast or 1 packet active dry yeast (8g) 1 cup lukewarm milk 1/2 cup orange juice, at room temperature 4 tbsp olive oil 3 tbsp melted butter, at room temperature 2 small eggs, beaten, at room temperature 1 tsp salt, leveled 2 tbsp sugar 1/2 tsp ground mastiha 1/2 tsp mahlepi (mahlab) powder 1/2 tsp ground anise 1/2 tsp baking powder A little extra flour FOR THE FILLING 250 gr halloumi (Cypriot cheese) 500 gr anthotyro (fresh Greek whey cheese) 150 gr kefalotyri (hard Greek cheese) 3 eggs 1/3 tsp mastiha 6 tbsp fine semolina 2 tbsp small raisins 1/4 bndl. fresh mint, finely chopped 1 tsp baking powder FOR THE EGG WASH 2 eggs 2 tbsp milk or water A little sesame, optional Equipment Stand mixer TAGS PIES CHEESE APPETIZERS EASTER GREEK TRADITIONAL FOODS Ingredients FOR THE DOUGH 650 gr hard or all-purpose flour 1 cube fresh yeast or 1 packet active dry yeast (8g) 1 cup lukewarm milk 1/2 cup orange juice, at room temperature 4 tbsp olive oil 3 tbsp melted butter, at room temperature 2 small eggs, beaten, at room temperature 1 tsp salt, leveled 2 tbsp sugar 1/2 tsp ground mastiha 1/2 tsp mahlepi (mahlab) powder 1/2 tsp ground anise 1/2 tsp baking powder A little extra flour FOR THE FILLING 250 gr halloumi (Cypriot cheese) 500 gr anthotyro (fresh Greek whey cheese) 150 gr kefalotyri (hard Greek cheese) 3 eggs 1/3 tsp mastiha 6 tbsp fine semolina 2 tbsp small raisins 1/4 bndl. fresh mint, finely chopped 1 tsp baking powder FOR THE EGG WASH 2 eggs 2 tbsp milk or water A little sesame, optional Instructions FILLING Grate all the cheeses into a bowl. Add the eggs, aromatics, raisins, baking powder, and semolina. Set aside the mint and baking powder for later. Knead the ingredients until fully combined. Cover the filling and place it in the refrigerator. The filling should be firm, with the semolina absorbing all the moisture from the cheeses and eggs. When it’s time to shape the flaounes, if the filling is too soft and sticks to your hands, dust it with a little flour so it can be shaped. Once the filling is chilled and ready to use, add the finely chopped mint and the baking powder, then knead again. Shape the filling into 16 cheese balls and set aside. DOUGH In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in a little water (1-2 tablespoons) and cover for 5-10 minutes, until the surface becomes foamy. Place the flour in the bowl of the stand mixer, make a well in the center, and add all the ingredients. Begin kneading on low speed for 2 minutes, then increase the speed until a dough forms and the sides of the bowl come clean. If the dough sticks slightly, dust with a little extra flour. The dough should not stick to your hands and should be pliable. It should resemble bread dough. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover well, and let rise for 1 1/2 hours at room temperature. Once risen, turn the dough out onto the work surface and gently knead to deflate. Shape it by hand into a long, thick log. Using a knife, cut the log in half. Divide each half into 8 pieces. You will now have 16 pieces of dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece with a rolling pin into a thin round. Place the filling on top and close the flaounes, leaving the center open so the filling is visible. Arrange on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Leave space between them, as they will expand. Cover and let rest for about 1 hour, until doubled in size. Beat the eggs with the milk and brush the surface with a pastry brush. If desired, sprinkle with sesame seeds. AROMATICS FOR THE DOUGH AND FILLING Aromatics you can add to the dough: mahlepi, cinnamon, mastiha, cardamom, anise. Aromatics you can add to the filling: mastiha, fresh mint. SHAPING Square pastries: after placing the filling, close into a packet by folding the four sides toward the center. The middle of the flaouna stays open so the filling can rise and overflow during baking. Alternatively, roll out round pastries, place the filling in the center, and close into a triangle by bringing the edges up to the middle of the flaouna. Slightly elongated sheets of dough: place the filling on top and close the two parallel sides, leaving the surface open so the filling puffs up like a soufflé during baking. Pinch the side edges at the seam and tuck underneath. Round sheets: add filling and close as you would for lychnarakia, with thick pinches along the edges. Don’t stress about folding and sealing. Whichever shape works for you is fine, as long as the surface has an opening so the filling can rise and overflow like a soufflé as they bake. BAKING Bake in a well-preheated oven at 200°C (400°F), conventional heat, on the lower rack, until golden and risen, for about 30 minutes depending on their size. Flaounes need a stable temperature while baking. So each time before you open the oven out of curiosity, remember that the moment you open the door, cold air rushes in and the temperature drops. The result is that the dough will collapse just as it’s baking and taking on volume. Tips Traditionally, Cypriots take flaounes with them on the night of the Resurrection, and after "Christos Anesti" (Christ is Risen) they are the first thing eaten to celebrate Easter. It's a fluffy dough, something like Easter cheese pies with lots of aromatics and a cheese filling. Sometimes the dough contains eggs, sometimes not. Traditionally in Cyprus the dough is made with sourdough starter. A little starter is also mixed into the filling. We make flaounes with yeast for convenience and add a little baking powder to the filling. The filling must be well kneaded and rested for several hours to allow it to absorb its own moisture. You should be able to pick up the filling and shape it into a ball without it sticking to your hands. When it reaches that consistency, it's ready for filling. Prepare the filling, knead the ingredients, cover well, and leave in the refrigerator for 1 night to absorb the moisture. Optionally, you can add a few raisins to the filling. The sweetness of the raisins contrasts with the savory halloumi and anari (a fresh cheese similar to fresh anthotyro). Cypriots also use a special cheese made specifically for flaounes, produced in Cyprus during this Easter season. The filling for flaounes is called Fokos, and it's best to prepare it the day before. Combine all the filling ingredients the day before in a bowl and leave covered overnight so the flavors meld and the eggs absorb the moisture from the cheese. If you find the filling has released a lot of moisture and becomes runny and won't hold its shape, sprinkle in a little extra semolina or flour and mix so it absorbs the excess moisture and you can shape the filling into cheese balls. TAGS PIES CHEESE APPETIZERS EASTER GREEK TRADITIONAL FOODS
