Pilavuna Loaf

Pilavuna Loaf. 

Pilavuna (also known as Flaounes) are a cheesy, sultana filled Cypriot bread synonymous with both Ramadan for Turkish Cypriots and the Orthodox Easter for Greek Cypriots. They are traditionally triangular or square in shape, but just to mix it up a little, I turned my Pilavuna into a gluten-free loaf using Buckwheat Flour. You can use self raising flour too. 

Tried and tested on my parents (who love it), I use a combination of mature cheddar / Gruyere, Pecorino Romano and Hellim (Halloumi) cheeses in mine, and due to the strong nutty flavour of the buckwheat flour, I leave out the traditional mahleb and mastic flavours (but feel free to add a ground 1/4 tsp of each in if using regular plain flour, or even self-raising, for the entire recipe). 

INGREDIENTS

3 large eggs 

225ml milk

150ml olive oil 

1 heaped tbsp dried mint

1 small onion, very finely chopped 

1 tbsp / 15g icing sugar 

100g sultanas, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, then drained

125g mature cheddar / Gruyère / Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated

150g Hellim (halloumi) cut into small 1cm cubes 

25g Hellim (Halloumi) finely grated

275g plain flour (GF)

50g buckwheat flour (GF) 

Pinch of cinnamon 

7g / 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp sesame seeds 

1 tsp Nigella seeds

1/4tsp aniseed

METHOD

Preheat oven to 170C (fan) / 190C.

Grease a 2 lb loaf tin and line with parchment paper. 

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, add milk and oil, stir, add sugar and mint, then sift in the flour, cinnamon and baking powder until it is completely smooth and lump free. 

Stir in the sultanas, onion, all of the chopped hellim and most of the cheddar cheese (leave a couple of tbsp the cheese with the grated hellim together to one side). 

Pour the batter into your loaf tin, sprinkle on the reserved grated cheese, the Sesame, Nigella seeds and Aniseed, and bake on bottom shelf for 35-45 mins or until golden brown and cooked through in the middle. 

Take out of the oven, leave for 15 minutes, then take it out of the tin, with the parchment paper and onto a cooling rack, and allow to cool for at least an hour, pour cuppa, enjoy.