Flaounes are traditional Easter breads from Cyprus filled with a blend of cheeses and eggs. They are a popular treat during the Easter season and are also enjoyed year-round. The bread is made with milk bread dough and flavored with mahlab. Once filled, the buns are brushed with egg and sprinkled with poppy or sesame seeds before baking. Flaounes are traditionally prepared on Good Friday and served on Easter Sunday. They are also exchanged as gifts of friendship and goodwill.
Flaounes are traditional Easter breads that have been served in Cyprus for generations. These loaves are filled with a blend of traditional cheeses and eggs for a hearty treat that is served when the Lenten fast is broken. In Cyprus, flaounes are readily available in bakeries during the Easter season, and many families make up batches and distribute them to friends. It is not uncommon to see families carrying large platters of these traditional delicacies along the road on Easter Sunday. Flaounes are also enjoyed year-round in some areas.
These breads are traditionally prepared in the form of modestly sized buns. The basic dough is generally a milk bread, which is wrapped in a filling made with grated cheese and eggs. Typically a soft cheese such as haloumi is included along with hard mizithra and kefalotiri, a kind of Greek parmesan. Some cooks also use feta. Flaounes are also traditionally flavored with ground mahlab, a spice made from the seeds of the bitter cherry, which is usually mixed into the rind. Once the buns are formed, the bakers brush them with egg and sprinkle them with poppy or sesame seeds.
These classic inclusions in Cypriot cuisine are traditionally prepared on Good Friday so that they are ready on Eastern Sunday. In many communities, Christians attend a midnight service the night before Easter, and after the service they celebrate feasts that include foods forbidden during Lent, including eggs, dairy products, and meat. Flaounes are also offered to guests as breakfast food and are traditionally exchanged as gifts of friendship and goodwill, along with the traditional red eggs.
To make the flaounes, mix a batch of milky bread dough using your favorite recipe. Milk bread is a basic bread recipe that traditionally includes white flour, yeast, scalded milk, salt, eggs, and sugar. For the flaounes, add mahlab and mastic to the bread dough. While the dough rests and rises, mix a filling with the cheese, egg, salt, pepper, and mint. Some cooks like to add raisins, along with mahlab and a dash of sugar.
When the dough has risen, break it into buns and roll the buns into flat circles. Spoon filling in the center of each circle, then fold the dough over to make a neat little dumpling. Brush the flaounes with egg and seeds before baking until golden brown. Once the flaounes are completely chilled, they freeze pretty well, so you can make a big batch and save a few for later.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
