Zeytinli hellimli kek (olive and halloumi muffins)

Zeytinli hellimli kek is a Cypriot bread muffin filled with the savoury flavours of black olives (zeytin) and cubes of creamy halloumi cheese (hellim). The key ingredient is fresh coriander which infuses the muffins with a sweet fragrance that complements the aromas of the chopped onions. The addition of dried mint, dried dill and ground cinnamon enhances the flavour of the muffins further with refreshing herbal notes and subtle sweetness.

The muffins are made with yeast, providing a bread-like texture and crust that is similar to traditional Cypriot bulla bread, which is a village olive bread that's baked in a wood-fired oven called a köy fırın (see the köy keki recipe for a picture).

Sesame seeds bring a nutty, earthy flavour, while nigella seeds add a mildly bitter, peppery note. Together, they complement the savoury ingredients and enhance the fresh, herbal flavours in the muffins.  We use Cypriot black olives for their stronger, peppery flavour, but you can use milder varieties if you prefer. Also, whole black olives are traditionally used, but you can use pitted varieties to avoid injury when eating.

Self-raising flour is used in this recipe instead of plain flour to achieve a fluffier rise. Muffin tins are ideal for baking, as their smaller size ensures a crispy, bread-like crust all over.

Makes 24 | Preparation time: 30 minutes | Baking time: 40 minutes | Additional time: 10-15 minutes to rest

Ingredients

For the yeast preparation
7g (2 ¼ tsp) fast action dried yeast	300ml lukewarm milk
2 tsp white sugar	200ml lukewarm water
For the dough
125ml olive oil	600g self-raising flour
1 large egg	1 tsp sesame seeds, plus extra for sprinkling
1 medium onion, finely chopped	1 tsp nigella seeds, plus extra for sprinkling
2 tsp dried mint	100g coriander, chopped
½ tsp dried dill	200g black olives
¼ tsp ground cinnamon	200g halloumi, diced into 1 cm cubes
½ tsp salt, or as desired
Extra
Sunflower oil, for greasing the muffin trays

Method

For the yeast preparation:

1. Combine the yeast, sugar, lukewarm water and lukewarm milk in a small bowl, and stir well. 

2. Cover and leave to stand for 15 minutes - it should become frothy when ready to use.

For the dough preparation:

1. Whisk together the yeast preparation, olive oil, egg, chopped onions, dried mint, dried dill, ground cinnamon and salt. 

   
   

2. Stir in the flour, sesame seeds, nigella seeds and chopped coriander to form a sticky dough. 

   
   

3. Finally, carefully fold in the olives and diced halloumi. 

   
   

4. Cover the bowl with the dough completely using a tea tray and a tea towel (or cling film), then place it in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes.

Baking:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas Mark 6 and grease two 12-cup muffin trays with sunflower oil. 

   
   

2. Gently scoop up the mixture from the bottom of the dough to ensure a good amount of olives and halloumi is included with every scoop, and divide equally between the two muffin tins. It is important that you do not stir the dough again at this point as it will release the trapped air. Sprinkle each muffin with a little sesame and nigella seeds.

   
   

   

   
   

3. Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown and a crispy crust has formed all over. Allow the muffins to rest in the trays for 10-15 minutes before removing them to prevent tearing. You can serve the muffins warm, or let them cool completely on a wire rack to absorb any excess moisture.