Pilavuna 😋 Tasty Cypriot Cheese Bread

Pilavuna - Traditional Cypriot Cheese Bread. Also know as Flaounes

Ingredients:

(Filling)

500g helim (halloumi)
500g strong cheddar
2 tbsp semolina
1 pk baking powder
130g sultanas
5 eggs
1 tsp crushed aniseed
1 tsp crushed mastic
1 tsp crushed mahlep seeds
2 tbsp dried mint

(Dough)

540g plain flour
1 pk dry yeast
1 tsp salt
1 egg
330ml warm milk
100ml olive oil
1 tsp crushed mastic
1 tsp crushed mahlep seeds

(Topping)

1 egg
50ml milk
Sesame seeds
Crushed aniseed
poppy seeds

Method:

4 hrs beforehand or previous day, grate helim/halloumi and cheddar finely into a bowl.

Add baking powder, semolina, crushed aniseed, mastic and mahlep seeds. Add dried mint and sultanas, mix well.

Break in 5 eggs and use hands to knead the mixture thoroughly.

Cover and store in fridge for at least 4 hrs or overnight.

After at least 4 hrs, roll mixture into equal size balls, using a drop of olive oil on hands. This mixture will make 25 golf size balls. Cover with cling film.

Prepare dough 2 hrs before needed.

In a bowl, mix flour and yeast. Add crushed mastic and mahlep seeds, salt, warm milk, olive oil and egg. Mix well with wooden spoon then knead with hands for 10 mins into a soft dough. Cover and leave to rise for 2 hrs.

After 2 hrs, knead dough for 2 mins, using a drop of olive oil on hands. Divide into equal pieces, same number as filling e.g. 25.
Cover with cling film and work with one at a time to roll and fill with 1 filling ball each.

Traditional shapes can be made e.g. square and triangle. 2 alternative shapes are also in this video e.g. flower and wheel with step by step instructions.

Pinch corners with a folk, brush with egg and milk mix, sprinkle seed mix and bake on greaseproof paper at Gas Mark 4 until golden brown. Approx. 25 mins.

Afiyet Olsun
Enjoy!

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Hülya