Hellimli

01 / О БЛЮДЕ

Что это за блюдо

Исходное описание на английском языке. Русский перевод ещё не добавлен.

Hellimli is a dense, savory bread from Cyprus made with an olive oil-rich dough filled with cubes of halloumi cheese and dried mint. Its origins are closely connected with the island’s long history of sheep and goat herding. Before the mid-twentieth century, rural households commonly used large communal mud-brick ovens known as fournos. After the main weekly batch of plain wheat bread had been baked, the heat left in the oven walls was suitable for enriched, oil-heavy breads that needed gentler baking. Halloumi is especially well suited to this bread because of its high melting point. The cheese cubes keep their shape during baking instead of melting completely into the dough, leaving distinct pieces throughout the crumb. The dough is made by kneading strong wheat flour with yeast, warm water, and a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil until smooth and elastic. Brown onions are quickly fried in oil until soft, translucent, and sweet. The onions are mixed into the dough together with plenty of dried, crushed mint. Fresh halloumi is cut into thick, even cubes and worked firmly into the dough. The dough is then left in a warm place until it doubles in size. Once risen, it is shaped into a large flat round or thick oval and coated generously with sesame seeds and black nigella seeds. The loaf is baked in a hot oven until the crust becomes dark golden brown and any exposed pieces of halloumi develop crisp, browned edges. The texture changes considerably when yeast is replaced with baking powder. Adding whole eggs and yogurt as well turns the chewy bread into a denser, more crumbly savory cake. Another variation adds handfuls of pitted black Kalamata olives to the dough, giving the loaf a stronger briny flavor. Fresh mint can also be used instead of dried mint. It adds more moisture and gives the bread a sharper, fresher herbal flavor, but it also shortens the shelf life. After baking, the loaf is left briefly on a wire rack so the cheese inside can firm up. It is then cut into thick slices with a serrated knife. Hellimli is usually eaten on its own for breakfast or as an afternoon snack. It does not need butter or other spreads because the dough already contains a large amount of olive oil and fat from the cheese. Thick slices are often served with small glasses of strong black tea or with fresh cucumber and raw tomato, which provide a cool, watery contrast to the dense, salty bread.