Flaounes

Ingredients

• 500g plain flour
• 9g dried yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 80ml lukewarm milk
• 60ml lukewarm water
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp finely ground mastic
• 1 tsp ground mahlepi
• 130g butter, melted
• A pinch of salt
• 500g halloumi, coarsely grated (or 350g halloumi and 150g anari or kefalotyri)
• 50g fine semolina
• 2 eggs, for the filling
• 1 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1 tsp finely ground mastic, for the filling
• 1 tbsp dried mint
• 1 tsp baking powder, for the filling
• 120g raisins
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 egg yolks beaten with 2 tbsp milk, for glazing
• 150g sesame seeds

Before you cook

• Grate the halloumi coarsely, a day ahead if you can, and leave it uncovered in the fridge to dry out a little.
• Grind the mastic to a fine powder with a pinch of sugar in a mortar.
• Melt the butter and let it cool to lukewarm.
• Line two baking trays with paper.

Steps

1. Stir the yeast and sugar into the lukewarm milk and water and leave it for 10 minutes, until a foam forms on top.
2. Mix the grated cheese with the semolina, 2 eggs, nutmeg, mastic, mint, baking powder, raisins and honey.
3. Cover the filling and chill it for at least 4 hours, so the semolina swells and the mixture firms up enough to hold its shape.
4. Put the flour, baking powder, mastic, mahlepi and salt in a large bowl.
5. Pour in the yeast liquid, the 2 eggs and the melted butter.
6. Knead for 10 minutes, until you have a smooth, rich dough with the feel of soft brioche.
7. Cover the bowl and leave the dough to rise for 1 hour.
8. Spread the sesame seeds on a tray and dampen them with a little water so they stick.
9. Divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll each one into a circle about 15cm across.
10. Press both sides of each circle into the wet sesame seeds until well coated.
11. Heat the oven to 200C.
12. Set a heaped tablespoon of filling in the centre of a circle.
13. Fold three sides up over the filling and pinch the corners together tightly, leaving the middle open.
14. Shape the rest the same way and set them on the lined trays.
15. Rest the flaounes for 30 minutes.
16. Brush the exposed dough with the egg yolk and milk glaze.
17. Bake for 25 minutes, until the pastry is deep gold and the filling has puffed and cracked open.
18. Cool on a rack for 20 minutes before eating.