Friendly Halloumi and Olive and Onion and Herb Bread

Last summer at this time I was in Cyprus, bakeries there are like coffee shops in LA, everywhere and with far too many options. 

I love too many options, so much better than the alternative where there's like only one or two things worth getting. 

I love olive bread, especially fresh olive bread with lots of onions and herbs, and you can sometimes find that, but the halloumi, it's just not going to happen here. So I try to find a recipe for it. But the problem is even translating from the Greek. What you want in your head is not what's on the page. The closest I got was a Paul Hollywood recipe, and it felt very strange making an Englishmen's version of a Cypriot bread. (Even though he did live there for a while, so that's got to be worth something.)

Here goes 

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

4 tbsp olive oil

30 g dry yeast 

1 cup warm water

1 package halloumi cheese cut into small pieces

2/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted.

1 red onion

1 tbsp dried mint

1 tbsp dried oregano

Mix flour, salt, 3 tbsp olive oil and yeast in a big bowl, adding water gradually (you may need more or less water, as you’re just trying to bring the ingredients together). 

Knead for or 5 minutes. 

Cover the bowl with a clean towel and leave to rise for 1 hour.

Slice onion, cook in remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil on medium heat until soft and starting to brown. Just before taking off the heat add the herbs. 

Line a baking tray with parchment paper or baking sheet.

Add the cheese, olives, onions, and dried herbs to the rusen dough and shape into a loaf. 

Lift to the baking tray and leave to rise for another hour.

Bake in a preheated 425˚F oven for 25-30 minutes. The bread should be golden brown and crisp on the top.

If you use a mixer to get this thing together, it's a very simple and easy bread to put together. I'd go as far to say it's good recipe for a first bread.