Loullas's Baked Haloumi Pastries

BOUREKIA ME HALLOUMI STO FOURNO
Baked Haloumi Pastries

The Halloumi pastries are very popular in Morphou region in the north-western part of Cyprus were my dad came from, he was from Argaki which is near. This pastries were his favourite, and my grand mum had to teach my mum how to make them, they didn’t make them in her village, in the south of Cyprus.  My yiayias and mums pasty was very plain and they also use to fry them, but I proffer to bake them, much healthier and I use  Greek  kourou dough, there variations of this pastry, I just like this one,  it’s nice and soft with a nice flaky texture.  

Makes 20

Pastry
150ml (¼ pint) vegetable oil
200ml (7fl.oz) plain Greek yoghurt
100ml (3fl.oz) milk or water
2 eggs
½ tsp salt
Freshly ground white pepper
700g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder  
Filling
3 halloumi 250g each, rinse, wiped dry and grated  
4-5 tbsp. fresh mint chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
3 small eggs
Glaze
1 egg, whisk
Black and white sesame seeds

Method

Make the pastry first, place oil, yoghurt, milk or water and eggs in a large bowl and whisk to blend. Add salt and pepper, baking poweder and start adding the flour, mixing untill it comes together and it’s a soft dough and doesn’t stick on your hands.  Kneed it lightly, cover and let it rest.

Preheat the oven to 180-190c 350-375f gas 4-5. Place the grated halloumi in a bowl, mix in the eggs and mint and season with pepper, no salt.

Knead pastry, and cut into 4 pieces and shaped into balls. Roll each ball on a flour surface thinly and cut into 13cm (5inch) discs. Place large tablespoons of the filling in the centre, fold over to cover the filling creating a half moon shape. Seal around the pastry with the back of a fork. Place finish pastries on onto oven trays lined with baking paper, when all have finished, brush with egg and sprinkled with black and white sesame seeds. Baked in the hot oven for about 25-30minutes.
Eat warm or cold.