Tahinopsomo is a beautiful star shaped bread filled with tahini and honey based on the Cypriot recipe for Tahinopita. However, this is much easier to make by just following the simple technique I used.
We can bake it in round baking tin in order to make it look more like bread but if it is well shaped you can bake it in any baking tin.
It is a delicious and healthy snack for any time of the day and for those fasting during Lent and want to avoid oil, you can leave it out.
The bread is made with a yeast dough similar to what we use to make pizza. For filling I added tahini with honey and cinnamon. If you are vegan, you can replace honey with sugar.
Star Tahini Bread
For the dough:
Ingredients:
- 800 grams bread flour or all purpose flour
- 1 cube of fresh yeast or 1 sachet (8 – 10 grams) dried yeast
- 1 tbsp honey or sugar
- 1/3 cup olive oil (leave it out if you do not want to add it)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
For the filling:
- 150 grams tahini
- 2 heaped tablespoons honey
- Cinnamon
Note: In Greece there is tahini mixed with honey sold in supermarkets but if you want to make it yourself just add enough honey to the tahini, mix and taste until it becomes sweet enough to suit your taste. If you want it vegan, add sugar instead of honey but you must add a few tablespoons lukewarm water and mix it until it becomes runny, so that the mixture becomes spreadable.
Directions:
- In a bowl add the yeast with 1 tablespoon flour, sugar or honey and lukewarm water to make a batter. Set aside until it bubbles.
- Attach the dough hook to the mixer and add the flour, (olive oil) and salt and mix on low speed.
- Add the yeast mixture, mix and then add the water gradually (you may not have to add it all) and mix again until the dough is ready and does not stick on the mixer bowl or your hands. If you don’t have a mixer, you can make the dough by hand.
- Cover with cling film and leave it in a warm place until it doubles in size, about 1 hour, depending on room temperature.
- Line your baking tin with parchment paper.
- When ready, punch the dough to deflate and knead again for a couple of minutes.
- Divide the dough into four equal pieces and shape them into balls.
- Roll out the first ball into a disc about 25 cm diametre. It is important that all the discs are made the same size.
- Place the first disc on the baking tin and spread 1/3 of the tahini mixture on it. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Lay the second one on top spreading the tahini mixture and continue with the third and fourth. The last one will be the top of your bread.
- Place a small round small object (a glass or a small bowl) in the middle and using a sharp knife make 4 cuts to form a cross. Divide each quarter into 4 equal pieces so that you have 16 sections. While making the first two sections twist each piece twice (or three times) in opposite directions. The right will be twisted to the right and the left to the left. Continue with all the remaining sections.
- Cover with cling film and a kitchen towel and let it rest and rise again.
- Preheat your oven to 180o C / 350o F and bake for about 30 – 40 minutes, depending on your oven or until a nice brown colour is achieved.
Enjoy with a cup of Greek coffee!
You can find my Greek recipes in my cookbooks «More Than A Greek Salad», and«Mint, Cinnamon & Blossom Water, Flavours of Cyprus, Kopiaste!» both available on all Amazon stores. Read more here.
Other related Recipes:
Kopiaste and Kali Orexi,
Anna of Stuffedveggies
Monday 23rd of March 2015
Wow! What a spectacular, Beautiful Bread! I love Tahinopita, but this looks like a wonderful variation! : )
Ivy
Monday 23rd of March 2015
Thank you Anna.
Angie
Sunday 22nd of March 2015
The bread looks amazing! I love the sesame pasta filling a lot.
Ivy
Sunday 22nd of March 2015
Thank you Angie. I wish I could find some of the flours you use, such as spelt but it's difficult to get them here, especially in Nafplion.
Rosa
Sunday 22nd of March 2015
Extremely tempting and surely divine!
Cheers,
Rosa