Cyprus Olive Bread (Eliopitta)

Miss the aroma of freshly baked Cyprus Eliopitta? Make your own and bring a taste of Louis Hotels to your kitchen!

Ingredients

• Serves 102 (7g) sachets fast action yeast
• 125ml lukewarm water
• 2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large onions (diced)
• 1kg bread flour
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp of black pepper
• 4 tbs chopped fresh spearmint leaves
• 275g pitted local black olives (chopped)
• 425ml lukewarm water

Instructions

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add the olive oil and the onions. Cook and stir for 3 minutes, or until onions are soft. Combine the bread flour, the dry yeast, salt, sugar, mint, olives, pepper, cinnamon, and cooked onions in a large bowl and mix well until the ingredients have pulled together and have formed a sticky dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic for about 8 minutes!

Lightly oil a large bowl, then place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a light cloth and let rise in a warm place (27 to35°C) until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Deflate the risen dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Use a knife to divide the dough into two equal pieces. Shape the dough into round loaves and place the loaves into trays coated with oil. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume for about 40 minutes.

Preheat an oven to 180°C. Bake the loaves in the oven until the tops are golden brown and the bottoms sound hollow when tapped for about 40minutes. Cool slightly before slicing.

And…it’s time to eat the amazing Eliopitta!