Sourdough Einkorn Cypriot Flaounes {Greek Easter Cheese Bread}

These Sourdough Einkorn Cypriot Flaounes are flavorful, Greek-style cheese pastries seasoned with unique Greek spices, and filled with a mixture of cheese, semolina, raisins, and spices.  My version is naturally leavened and made completely with einkorn.

This month marks the 15th Anniversary of the Bread Baking Babes.  Kelly of A Messy Kitchen, the host kitchen, chose Cypriot Flaounes as the monthly bake and introduced us to some unique Greek flavors.  Or at least, I hadn’t used these flavors before in baking.

One of the benefits of participating in virtual baking groups is being exposed to different ingredients and flavors from around the world.

It’s easy to get stuck in a rut making the same types of breads. Trying different techniques, flavors, and methods makes me a better baker whether I like the bread in question or not.

Now that I’ve tried these flavors, I need to check out some other Greek-style breads so I can use these spices again.

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The story behind Cypriot Flaounes

Flaounes are a traditional Cypriot Easter pastry.

As the story goes, milk and eggs were not eaten during the fasting season of Lenten before Easter, so people needed a way to preserve the 40 days of milk that was not being drunk.  They made cheese with the milk and stored the eggs in a cool place.

What herbs and spices are used in this Greek Easter Cheese Bread?

As I mentioned, these Cypriot Flaounes include several unique spices: mahleb, mastic, sesame seeds, and dried mint. I decided to do a bit of research on each of them.

Mahleb – is made from the small pits of wild St. Lucy’s cherries, and is very lightly almondy and sweet with a hint of floral note.  The suggested substitute is to use almond extract (at half the called for amount) and cardamom (at 1/4 the called-for amount) or a pinch of anise.

Mastic – has a not-so-subtle resin aroma, like pine sap.  The typical substitute is vanilla.

According to the dictionary box on Google, mastic (mastik) is “an aromatic gum or resin that exudes from the bark of a Mediterranean tree, used in making varnish and chewing gum and as a flavoring.”  And, “the bushy evergreen Mediterranean tree of the cashew family that yields mastic and has aromatic leaves and fruit, is closely related to the pistachio.”

Interesting tidbits about sesame seeds

Sesame seeds (also known as Goma Seeds) – “have a slightly sweet flavor with notes of butter, milk, and/or nuts (e.g., almonds), and a rich texture.  White sesame seeds have a quiet volume (the ingredient’s relative flavor “loudness,” from quiet to loud); whereas black sesame seeds have a moderate volume.” Source: The Vegetarian Flavor Bible by Karen Page

I love sesame seeds and after reading some of the numerous benefits, I love them even more.  I’m particularly interested in seeing if they help relieve my arthritis.  However, as with most food, moderation is the key.

Helps Lessen Anxiety – Sesame seeds contain the stress-relieving minerals magnesium and calcium. Sesame also contains the calming vitamins thiamin and tryptophan which help produce serotonin, which reduces pain, assists moods, and helps you sleep deeply.

Relieves Arthritis – The high copper content in sesame seeds prevents and relieves arthritis, and strengthens bones, joints, and blood vessels.

Alleviates Anemia – Black sesame seeds are particularly rich in iron. They’re highly recommended for those with anemia and weakness.

Source: https://www.lispine.com/blog/20-huge-health-benefits-of-sesame/

Dried mint – according to The Vegetarian Flavor Bible, “mint is a slightly sweet; aromatic, with pungent notes of herbs and/or lemon.”  They also note that “recipes that call for mint typically mean spearmint (versus, peppermint).  Mint suggests “false coolness,” and adds a note of freshness to dishes.” Spearmint has a quiet to moderate volume; whereas peppermint has a loud volume.”

I have never used dried mint, that I can remember. I’m typically overrun with fresh mint, except during the winter.  All of my mint is dormant at the moment so I decided to order some dried mint.  The package doesn’t indicate whether it’s made with spearmint or peppermint.  It smells fabulous, but a little goes a long way, and I think I added a little too much.

What type of cheese do you use in these Sourdough Cypriot Flaounces?

Traditional flaounes were made with a local Cypriot goat’s milk cheese called paphitiko.  As the pastries became popular across Greece, other cheeses also began to be used, like halloumi.

In even farther removed regions where Greek cheese was not accessible, mild cheddar and Romano became popular substitutes.

Halloumi is a Greek cheese made from sheep’s or sometimes goat’s milk. The Vegetarian Flavor Bible describes Halloumi as “salty/sour, with notes of feta cheese and sometimes mint, and a firm, chewy, almost meaty texture that can even stand up to grilling without melting.”

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to source any halloumi this time around so I used mild cheddar and mozzarella in the filling.  I do hope to try this cheese bread again sometime with halloumi.

What type of flour should you use in these flauones?

In the filling, use a finely ground semolina flour.  I used Bob’s Red Mill semolina flour.

In the dough, you can use all-purpose or bread flour, but I opted for a blend of einkorn all-purpose and freshly-milled whole wheat einkorn flour.  You can purchase all-purpose einkorn from einkorn.com or jovialfoods.com.

I like to try different flours and since Einkorn is typically considered to be a Mediterranean species of wheat, I thought it was appropriate to use in this Greek-style bread.

How to shape the flauones?

One way to shape these flauones is to roll them out into a rectangle and cut them into 5-inch squares.  After rolling the squares in sesame seeds and placing a couple of spoonful’s of filling on  them, you fold them up towards the center around the filling and pinch the ends together to keep them from popping open. This is the method I used.

After I had already used the above method, I visited a few other blogs, and those bakers utilized a different method of dividing the dough into portions and rolling each portion out separately into a flat round piece.  Next time I make these, I will try the second method.

Serve with honey and cinnamon for a sweet treat or olives and sliced meat for savory.

 

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Happy Baking!

Cathy