Made with Cyprus’s national cheese, traditional halloumi pies are salty snacks that can be enjoyed for breakfast or anytime snack. Halloumi pies come in various shapes and sizes! Special thanks go to Paris Avgoustou parisavg for sharing his recipe for us!
For the dough:
500gr plain flour
360ml lukewarm water (might need more or less depending on the flour)
1 tsp dry active yeast
1 tsp sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
For the filling:
250g Cypriot halloumi cheese (chopped into small squares)
100g Cypriot anari (or ricotta)
2 tbsp fresh mint finely chopped
1/2 tbsp dry mint
1/2 onion finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1 egg lightly beaten
Sesame seeds for the top
INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1 In a small bowl, mix together half of your water (about 180g), the yeast and the sugar and set aside for 10 minutes or until the yeast is activated (you will see froth or bubbles on the surface). In the meantime, in a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and olive oil, rubbing with your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the yeast mixture in the flour mixture and the rest of the water and knead for 10 minutes. Your dough should be soft to touch and should stick to your fingers. You can add more water or flour if needed. Let the dough double in size, approximately 1 hour.
Step 2 In a separate bowl mix together the halloumi, anari, mint, onion and salt until combined.
Step 3 When the dough is ready, pre-heat your oven at 180°C. Roll the dough thinly (~1cm) into a rectangle. Spread the cheese mixture on the surface leaving ~5cm on all sides.
Step 4 Roll the dough into a cylinder shape (similar to a cinnamon roll) and then cut into 8 slices.
Step 5 Place the pie pieces on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, brush with some egg wash and sprinkle the top with some sesame seeds. Bake for about 45-50 minutes or until golden brown.
Related articles
