Cypriot olive bread

Recipe: Cypriot olive bread
By: Kiria Roula, Alexandroupolis but originally from Cyprus

Our neighbour in Greece, Kiria Roula, made this for us on our last visit in 2013.  So I took a photo and lost the recipe. So as she was giving Evangeline her 2 freshly laid eggs the other morning I asked if I could have it.  Lucky for me she was making a big batch the next day.  So armed with my trusty iPhone, pen and paper off I went 2 meters down the road.


As I have mentioned on numerous occasions no Greek that I know uses measuring cups. It's either a handful, a pinch, a greek/turkish coffee cup, a mug or a water glass.  In this case we are using a mug.

I will be definitely be asking her for a lot more Cypriot recipes!

Recipe

For dough
4 mugs plain flour
1 can fanta or orange mineral water
1 mug sunflower or olive oil
2 tsp salt
20g or 3 tsp baking powder

For filling
500g pitted black olives (make sure you pit them yourself!)
1 tbs dried mint
2 tbs oil

For basting
beaten egg
sesame seeds

Step 1. Mix flour, salt, baking powder and oil.  The mixture should feel crumbly.

Step 2. Add orange mineral water or fanta and knead well.  This should result in a very soft oily dough

Step 3.  Allow the dough to rest and start pitting your olives

Step 4. In the bowl with your pitted olives add the dried int and oil and mix

Step 5. Divide your dough in 3 or 4 balls

Flatten the ball with your hand

Roll out with rolling pin. the dough should be thin

Spread some of the olives on the dough

Now time to roll into a sausage roll shape.  Ensure your tuck the corners in before the last roll.

The seam should be at the bottom

Place on a lined baking tray and baste with beaten egg....

..and sprinkle with sesame seeds

after 40 minutes in a 170-180 degree oven it's ready! Allow to cool...

...and enjoy

See you

Carol xx