Fry Bread Stuffed with Feta Cheese (Greek Tiganopsomo)

Delicious round packets of soft, golden fried bread, wrapped around a rich, melting feta cheese filling. Tiganopsomo (fried bread) is a very easy and versatile traditional Greek dish perfect for every time of the day, that can be served as starter or side to savoury dishes or stand on its own as a filling mid-day snack. Most countries have a version of fried bread or some kind of pan fried dough flatbread. The Greek version of fried bread is called Tiganopsomo and is the most delicious result of a handful of plain ingredients there will ever be. Tiganopsomo (Greek fried bread) takes its name from the word pan or fried in a pan (tigani or tiganizo) and bread (psomi). To prepare this Greek fried bread recipe, all you need is some kind of bread dough rolled out flat and fried in just a little oil and of course some good quality Greek feta cheese. In lots of Greek households this kind of fried bread is prepared with leftover dough from traditional savoury pies or breads and although it may have a slight different taste and texture it still tastes delicious.

1¼ cup all-purpose flour, unbleached
½ tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. sugar
½ Tbsp. dry yeast (4 g)
½ cup lukewarm water
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
7 oz feta cheese, crumbled (200 g)
vegetable oil, for frying

Start by making the dough. Add the flour into a large bowl; using your hands make a dimple in the middle and add the sea salt, the sugar, the yeast and pour in the olive oil. Knead the dough with your hands adding slowly the lukewarm water, until the dough becomes smooth and elastic and doesn’t stick. Cover the dough for the fried bread with some plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough in 4 pieces. Roll the pieces of the dough into circles, approx. 0.5 cm thick (that can fit your frying pan). Top two circles of dough with feta cheese, crumbled and cover with the other circles. Join the edges well, using a fork.

Heat a large frying pan to medium heat and add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Fry the breads, until nicely coloured; when one side becomes golden, turn them on the other side. Remove the fried bread from the pan and place on some kitchen paper to absorb the extra oil.

Serve warm.

Makes 8 servings (2 loafs)