Last time I made flaounes was 6 years ago. I had no kids and all I wanted to do is cook, create and eat. Attempt 2, 6 years later: I did what I could, kids permitting. Meaning I left the cheese in the fridge for 24 hours, and let the dough rise for 12 hours (instead of 2). However, I had two amazing helpers who made 5 yummy “flaounes” each. No they don’t look great, but they taste amazing. Super mega THANKS to my friend Afrodite’s Kitchen for the (indeed), no-fail recipe.
Ingredients (all from Alpha Mega)
For the filling:
250 finely grated kefalotyri cheese
250 Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
400 Pecorino romano cheese
2 tablespoons ground dry mint
1/2 tbs ground mastic powder
1/2 tbs ground mehlep powder
10 tsp baking powder
10 eggs
1 cup of raisins
For the dough:
1kg All Purpose Flour (Farina)
1/2 cup tablespoons vegetable shortening (I used Spry)
1/4 tbs of salt
1/2 tbs of ground mastic powder
1/2 tbs of ground mehlep powder
2 eggs
2 cups of milk
1 bag (7g) of dry yeast
1 tbs cup of white sugar
sesame seeds
2 eggs for egg wash
Note: In terms of waiting time, you will have to prepare the cheeses the night before, and the dough will need a couple of hours to rise.
The recipe has been adapted from www.afroditeskitchen.com
- In a large bowl mix together the cheeses, mint, mastic powder, mehlep powder and half of the baking powder with your hands.
- Add the eggs slowly mixing the cheese mixture with your hands until it becomes medium-soft.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest over night at room temperature or in the fridge.
- In the morning, add the remaining baking powder, raisins and mix well with your hands. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel.
- Now the dough. Mix together the flour, mastic powder, mehlep powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the vegetable shortening and rub the shortening into the flour mixture with your fingers.
- Dilute the yeast with 1/2 cup of warm milk and half the sugar in a small bowl. Do not mix with the dough YET. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 15 minutes until a light foam has formed on top
- When that happens add to the flour mixture.
- In the meantime, warm the remaining milk with remaining sugar over the stove at low heat and then add to the flour mixture too.
- Start needing the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic for about 10 minutes.
- And now the flaouna making!
- Place two trays, one for flattening out the dough for each flaouna, and in the other one place a cup of sesame seeds.
- Take dough in the size of a small lemon. Spread it out in a circle with diameter 20cm, flat.
- Place that in the sesames and add cheese in the middle, leaving 3cm perimeter (for folding).
- Put some egg wash on the edges and fold each side.
- Add some more egg wash on the now folded “flaouna” and add more sesame seeds on top if need.
- You should make around 12 “flaounas” depending on the size.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven of 160C for 45 minutes. ENJOY!
