Halloumi & Mint Bread

“All sorrows are less with bread.”
— Miguel de Cervantes

As I have stated before, I love bread. Not just the consumption of bread, but the making of bread. There is something therapeutic and calming and nurturing about making bread. The creation of bread, the kneading of the dough, seems to exorcize angst and temper my cloudiest moods. And the smell of bread baking in the oven is one of my very favourite aromas.

Making loaves of whole wheat or white bread is simple and satisfying, but every so often I enjoy making a less common type of bread. Halloumi and mint bread add a perfect exotic twist.

Halloumi (sometimes spelled haloumi) is a traditional Cypriot cheese. It is made from a mixture of goat and sheep milk and dates back to the Medieval Byzantine period. It is white with a texture similar to mozzarella and has a salty flavour. It is traditionally paired with mint, mint leaves being used as a preservative, and you often find packages of Halloumi with bits of mint leaf on the surface of the cheese.

Halloumi is not exactly a common cheese and although some regular grocers may carry it, you are more likely to find it at a Mediterranean grocery store or deli or at a store with a large cheese department, like Sunflower Market.

This bread is straightforward and simple to make.

Halloumi & Mint Bread
4 cups white flour
1 tsp salt
4 Tbsp olive oil
4 1/2 tsp (2 packages) dry yeast
1 to 1 1/4 cups warm water
8 oz halloumi cheese, ripped into small pieces
1 Tbsp of dried mint

Mix the flour, salt, olive oil and yeast in a large bowl, adding the water gradually to form a smooth dough. On a lightly floured surface, knead until the dough is elastic and springs back if you poke it with your finger (about 10 minutes). Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a towel and let rise for one hour in a warm, draft-free place.

Line a tray with baking paper.

Remove the dough from the bowl and add the cheese and dried mint, kneading it enough to evenly distribute the cheese and mint. Shape the dough into a loaf and place it on the baking tray. Let it rise for another hour.

Lightly dust the top of the loaf with some flour and score it diagonally with a very sharp knife. Bake the loaf at 425˚F for 25-30 minutes. The bread should be golden brown and crisp on the top.

 Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

 

And most of all, enjoy!

Crêpes Sucrées (sweet crepes)

The humble crêpe.

Like a pancake.

But better.

I seem to be on a breakfast kick lately. Not that crêpes are strictly a breakfast food. In France, where crêpes are especially popular, they are an ubiquitous food and can serve as main course, snack or as dessert. In fact, the French have a dessert called Mille crêpe which is a cake made of many crêpe layers.

Usually made from common ingredients like flour, eggs, milk, butter, and salt, crêpes can be either sweet (crêpes sucrées) or savoury (crêpes salées).

The crêpes I make are the sweet kind and are very simple and make a wonderful alternative to pancakes.

Crêpes Sucrées
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/3 cups milk
2 Tbs butter, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until well mixed and slightly frothy.

Add the milk, melted butter, sugar and salt and whisk until smooth.

Using a sifter, slowly add the flour and whisk until smooth.

 

You should have a very thin batter.

Heat a medium-sized skillet or crêpe pan over medium heat. Grease the pan with a small amount of butter or oil. I use a pastry brush to apply the butter, but it can also be applied with a paper towel.

Here comes the tricky part.

Using a serving spoon or small ladle, spoon about 3 tablespoons of the crêpe batter onto the hot pan. While you are adding the batter, you need to tilt the pan, rotating it so that the bottom becomes evenly coated with the batter.

 

Again, this is tricky and if you have never done it before it'll take a bit of practice to get the batter to evenly coat the pan. Also, if the pan is too hot, it will cook the batter too fast and not allow you to get a good coating.

The crêpe should almost immediately begin to bubble as it cooks, giving it very lacy-looking edges.

 

Cook just one to two minutes on a side, or until golden brown.

 

You can serve them with any toppings you wish. They are good with maple syrup, jams and jellies, custard, whipped cream, fresh fruits, etc.

I like serving them with fresh-made whipped cream and fresh fruits dusted with powdered sugar.

This recipe serves 4.