Eliopita is Cypriot olive bread made with a simple bread dough that is bursting with briny olives, sweet onions, and fragrant coriander. Eliopita can be made into small individual pastries, or as a larger loaf with the filling spiralled through.
This eliopita dough couldn’t be simpler. It is a one bowl mix with no kneading and no rising. Super easy and works every time.
This recipe features on Season 6 of the FOXTEL show, The Great Australian Bake Off. This was one of my signature bakes in week 4: Winter Week.
This is only one of a range of classic baking recipes on my website – many based on iconic, no-fail baking recipes. Check out the full range of recipes here!
Eliopita dough
235g plain flour
15g (3 tsp) baking powder
125g Greek Style Yoghurt
50g (1 large) egg
54g (1/4 cup) canola oil
More canola oil for rolling
1 egg yolk and touch of milk for glazing
Sesame seeds
Filling
1 large onion (160g), chopped
10g extra virgin olive oil
A few pinches of salt
100g Greek dried black olives (Throubes), pips removed and chopped (65g once pips removed)
1/2 cup coriander leaves, finely chopped
- For the eliopita dough, sift the plain flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Add the wet to the dry and stir with a spatula until combined. When too firm to stir, knead together with hands. Divide into two balls. Loosely wrap in plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
- For the eliopita filling, peel and chop the onion, and place in a large saucepan with the oil and salt. Cover and cook at medium heat for 15 minutes or until softened. Remove lid and keep cooking for 5-10 minutes more to dry out. Once cooked, transfer to cool. Chop the olives and coriander. Add the cooled onions and mix to combine. Place aside until needed.
- To make the eliopita, after 30 minutes of resting, roll out a ball of dough on a greased benchtop into a circle. Cut the dough into eight even triangles (like a pizza). Place 2 teaspoons of filling at the long edge, then roll up into a crescent. Place crescents on a baking tray lined with baking paper, brush with egg yolk glaze, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Repeat with second dough ball.
- Bake in preheated oven (180C) for 20 minutes, until golden and puffed.
