Cypriot Tahinopita (Vegan Tahini Bread)
Tahinopita, pronounced Tah-hee-NOH-pee-tah (plural tahinopites) is a Cypriot Lenten Sweet Bread, filled with tahini, sugar and cinnamon.
In the title I stress the word "Cypriot" Tahinopita because I searched the web for information about the Cypriot tahinopita (tahini bread) but could not find this recipe anywhere.
The only recipe I found was a Greek cake made with tahini and 90% of the recipes found were exactly the same (copy – paste) from someone who originally wrote it and the others just copied it.
I had to make a few phone calls to my sisters in Cyprus who did not have a recipe themselves but they asked other relatives and found out a recipe which they gave me.
The traditional Tahinopita we make in Cyprus is layers of phyllo dough and in between each phyllo there is the a tahini mixture with sugar and cinnamon.
In Cyprus these were street food and I remember back when we used to buy tahinopita at school, from street vendors who had a three or four wheeled cart which was covered with a sort of a window dressing and sold them in the crowded parts of the city.
Nowadays you can find them anywhere, in supermarkets, mini markets, confectioneries, bakeries etc. I am not sure if there are any street vendors any more because I have been away from Cyprus for many years and during my visits there I have never seen any.
This is a great breakfast pie, or snack with a very spicy flavour and very nutritious as well.
It is "strict fasting" or "Lenten", meaning it contains no dairy, eggs, or oil and is suitable for "fasting" days in the Orthodox Church.
Very satisfying with a cup of your favourite coffee.
HOW TO MAKE THE TRADITIONAL CYPRIOT TAHINOPITA
- First of all activate the yeast,
- Then prepare the dough, either using a stand mixer or by hand. In the dough we add some aromatic spices, such as mastic, mahleb and cinnamon and let it rise.
- Prepare the filling. Put the tahini in a bowl and mix it with a couple tablespoons lukewarm water, to make it runny and mix in some sugar and cinnamon.
- Roll out the dough with a dowel or using a pasta machine and spread the filling.
- Make it into a roll.
- Holding both ends, twist them in opposite directions, pulling at the same time until it almost doubles in length.
- Place the roll on your working surface and make a coil on each side, which then put one coil on top of the other.
- Roll again to make it thinner. Cover with cling film and a kitchen towel and let it rise.
- Bake in a preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until golden.
- Brush with the glaze and bake for 2 more minutes.
Can I freeze tahinopites?
If they are too many for you, put them on a tray, cover with cling film and put them in freezer. Thaw them first and then bake them.
You will find the recipe in my cookbook "Mint, Cinnamon & Blossom Water, Flavours of Cyprus, Kopiaste!" as well as in the second volume of the same e-book.
Cypriot Tahinopita (Vegan Tahini Bread)
Cypriot Traditional Tahinopita is a Lenten or vegan sweet bread, which is very flavourful as it is filled with tahini, sugar and cinnamon.
Ingredients
For the starter:
- 40 grams fresh yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ cup water
- Enough flour to make a thick batter
For the dough:
- 350 grams bread flour
- 350 grams self-raising flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground mastic resin
- ½ teaspoon of ground mahleb
- About 300 ml lukewarm water
For the filling:
- 1 ½ jars tahini (375 grams)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the glazing:
- 3 tablespoon icing sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Water just to dissolve sugar
Instructions
- Pound the mahleb and mastic resin with one teaspoon of sugar until they are powdered.
- Dissolve the fresh yeast with 1 cup of flour and half cup of lukewarm water and 1 tablespoon sugar
- Cover and set aside until it bubbles.
- Prepare the dough by placing the bubbled yeast, the flour, remaining sugar, salt, cinnamon and pounded mahleb and mastic.
- Add the water gradually and knead the dough until it does not stick on your hands or mixer If it is sticky add more flour. Cover and set aside until it rises.
- Whisk the tahini, sugar and cinnamon or mix it with a spoon If it is too thick, dissolve it by adding a few tablespoon of warm water, so that it becomes spreadable.
- Cut the dough in about 12 equal parts and cover with kitchen membrane so
that they do not dry. - Flour a clean surface and roll the dough with a dowel (or rolling pin) or a
pasta machine (up to number 4) and make a thin phyllo about 20 x 30 cm. - Place 1 heaped tablespoon tahini in the centre and spread all over, leaving 3 cm (one inch) on all sides without tahini
- Fold the four sides and then fold once again, to enclose tahini.
- Make the phyllo into a roll and then holding both ends, twist them in opposite directions, pulling at the same time until it almost doubles in length.
- Place the roll on your working surface and make a coil on each side, which then put one coil on top of the other.
- Press with your palm to flatten the dough and roll with the dowel until 1 cm thick.
- Place in a baking tin lined with parchment paper and cover with cling film.
- Continue until the tin is full and cover with a clean napkin until they rise again.
- Bake in a preheated oven to 180o C/ 350o F, for about 45 minutes or until golden.
- Finally remove them from the oven, brush them with the glazing and bake for two more minutes.
Notes
If they are too many for you, put them on a tray, cover with cling film and put them in freezer. Thaw them first and then bake them.
Nutrition Information
Yield 12 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 380Total Fat 2gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 0mgSodium 547mgCarbohydrates 82gFiber 3gSugar 28gProtein 9g
Vegan Desserts
Some other vegan desserts you can try during Lent.
Vegan, Lactose Free and Gluten Free Ryzogalo (rice pudding)
This coconut rice pudding is not only vegan but also lactose free and gluten free but equally creamy and delicious as the classic one!
Daktyla (Ladies' fingers)
Daktyla, also called daktyla kyrion (meaning ladies fingers) is the most popular Cypriot dessert made with phyllo which is very crisp and very juicy, filled with almonds, cinnamon and sugar. They are fried and then drenched in syrup, scented with anthonero (orange blossom water), which make them irresistible.
Shiamishi and Assumption Day
Shiamishi, are one of the best panigyria treats in Cyprus. These are made with homemade phyllo filled with an aromatic, vegan, sweet semolina cream, which is flavoured with anthonero (orange blossom water) and mastic and then deep fried.
Vegan Carrot and Banana Cake with Coconut Frosting
A very moist, delicious and healthy Vegan Carrot Cake with Banana, Spices and topped with Coconut frosting and Bergamot fruit preserve.
Vegan Chocolate Avocado Orange Almond Cake
This vegan chocolate cake uses avocado and extra virgin olive oil instead of any other fat, it is loaded with chocolate flavor and and many other healthy ingredients.
Kopiaste and Kali Orexi,
Ivy, I have yet to try Tahinopita....the flavours sound good!
....and it smells even better.. you should try it!
I have a recipe for this that I've been meaning to try, although it is slightly different than yours. For example, the recipe I have doesn't have either mastixa or maxlepi in it. Now I can't decide if I should make your recipe or the one I've been meaning to do!
I've also made many times an Armenian recipe for something similar, although smaller and harder, more like cookies than bread.
As you say, the smell is amazing, and I love the taste of tahini with pretty much everything. Thanks!
Laurie I think that if you like the taste of mastiha and mahlepi try it because it gives a nice aroma to the dough.
ivy, thanks you for the recipe. I looked all over the internet and I was able to find only a recipe for a "cake" like tachinopita. Even when I called relatives in cyprus nobody was able to give me some good instructions. Sounded like a secret for the bakeries over there. One question though. When you do the 2 snails after that you put one on top of the other and roll the pin over them again until they are thin... right?
Hi Nick,
You've got it right. Also, please bear in mind that the temperature I bake them is according to my oven, e.g I usually bake a cake at 180 degrees celcius for about an hour +. Compare this with the time you need to bake a cake and adjust accordingly.
Hi Ivy...
just to say thanks for posting this recipe for me and i hope next time they will have not only great taste but also great raising:)i shall lover the teperature too...
i shall keep trying...
thanks
Hi Eva, I am sure next time you will get them right. It is important to leave them to rise in a hot spot. As for the temperature I always bake at 180 degrees but I am not sure if the temperature inside is right. It takes me about 1 hour + to bake a cake. So I think you'll figure it out. Happy New Year.
Hi Ivy,
Like the others i just wanted to say thanks for posting a recipe for Tahinopites as we know them, i will be trying to make them tomorrow.
Also wanted to let you know that there are still street vendors selling tahinopites and tyropites.. from the same little motorbike carts..YAY!! they remind me of my childhood, and somehow things always taste better from there 🙂
Hi Desi. Thanks for commenting and letting me know about tahinopites and tyropites. I sure miss them. Hope to see you around again.
Amazing! I can see so much similarity with the Armenian version! I think yours is so scrumptious because it uses phyllo dough not just plain pita bread dough. I can't wait to try it! Thank you!
Hello Ivy !
I'm curious about your recipe ! My boyfriend has been living during 8 years in Nicosia and is always talking about tahinopita and I would like to surprise him preparing some but the only recipes I found on the net are Greek ones and they don't seem to match with what he experienced.
Thanks a lot Ivy !
Cheers Cécile
[email protected]
Hi Ivy, these are my husbands most favorite things to eat,, I usually buy them from the paniyiri at St Andreas church, the ladies make them and sell them, or the Paniyiri tou krasiou, will make every effort to make them just as you tell me,Thanks again, he will be over the moon when I make them!
Hello Ivy,
I' v been looking everywhere do find the tahinopitta recipe and yours was the only one on web. I made them and they were delicioussssss!
i am finding it a nightmare to find a recipe for these and i woud really appreciate if you could send me yours to try. its my mums birthday and ive offered to try and cook her anything she wants and this being her favorate was what she wants.
my emaill is [email protected]
my mum asked the bakers in cyprus if she could watch them being made and the answer was no (: it does seem to be a big secret over there.
Maria, I will e-mail you.