Are you looking for savory bread with cheese and olives? Then try this super addictive cheesy bread, with a crisp crust and soft texture Cypriot Halloumi bread. Loaded with flavors from Halloumi cheese, olives, mint, and onion, you will be asking for more.
What is Halloumi Cheese

Halloumi or haloumi is the cheese for which Cyprus is famous. It is a cheese made from a mixture of goat’s and sheep’s milk. The cheese is very salty and its texture is squeaky. It is a cheese which you may like or you may not.
This cheese can be fried or grilled and I first tasted this cheese as grilled. I did not like it at the first go, but developed a taste later on. Though I cannot eat this one much, I like this as an addition to a few recipes.
I visited Cyprus last year on a short trip and tasted this bread. I loved it and as a food blogger would do. I finally tried to make this recipe. I would say this is something similar to a focaccia, but here the ingredients are mixed along the bread instead of just as a topping. It is also called Hellemi Bitta.




Halloumi Cheese, Olive, and Mint Bread
Equipment
- Bread Pan
- Stand Mixer Optional
Ingredients
Bread Dough
- 550 grams All purpose Flour / Plain Flour / Maida
- 330 ml Water – lukewarm
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 7 grams Active Dry Yeast
- 150 grams Halloumi Cheese diced
- 100 grams Cheese Cheddar/Mozarella , Optional
- 120 grams Olives pitted and chopped (I have used green, typically black is used)
- 1/2 Cup Onion Finely chopped (1 small)
- ¼ cup Spring onions sliced
- 150 grams Yogurt
- 100 ml Olive Oil
- 2 teaspoon Olive Oil for greasing
- 2 tablespoon Mint Dried
- 2 tablespoon nigella/onion seeds
- 2 tablespoon Sesame Seeds
Instructions
Making of dough
Proofing yeast
- In a bowl, add lukewarm water and sugar and mix.330 ml Water, 1 tablespoon Sugar
- Add yeast and mix.7 grams Active Dry Yeast
- Let it sit for 10 minutes until the yeast activates.
Making Dough
- Once the yeast is activated, in a large bowl add the flour and salt.550 grams All purpose Flour / Plain Flour / Maida, 1 teaspoon salt
- Add the yeast mixture and mix everything.
- If your yeast mixture has not bloomed properly the yeast is dead and you would need to work with new yeast. At times even before the expiry date, it is dead. So always bloom the yeast and check before adding in the dough.
- Now in a wide bowl or your stand mixer add the sifted flour
- Add in the bloomed yeast mixture and give everything a mix.
- If you are kneading it with your hand, take the dough mix to a clean kitchen working area.
- Knead this for a good 5-10 minutes until the dough comes in together.
- If using a stand mixer just knead the dough using the kneading hook slowly
- First on slow speed until the dough is well incorporated and then on high speed for around 5 minutes.
- Knead the dough until you form an elastic dough. If you form a dent the dough should spring back in a few seconds.
- For stand mixer follow the same, by kneading on medium speed until the dough is elastic.
- Now form a rough ball from the dough.
- Grease the bowl of a stand mixer or a wide bowl.2 teaspoon Olive Oil
- Keep the bowl covered in a warm kitchen location. One can even keep the bowl in the oven/microwave with oven/microwave switched off and oven door closed.
- Let the dough rest for 75-90 minutes until double.
Preparing the ingredients.
- Chop the onions and green/spring onions.1/2 Cup Onion, ¼ cup Spring onions
- Crumble or chop the Halloumi cheese.150 grams Halloumi Cheese
- Pit the olives and chop them into small pieces.120 grams Olives
Preparing the dough and adding the ingredients
- Once the dough has doubled in size deflate it a bit.
- Now add the chopped onions, green onions, halloumi cheese, cheedar/mozarella cheese if using.100 grams Cheese, 1/2 Cup Onion, ¼ cup Spring onions, 150 grams Halloumi Cheese
- Add yogurt, olive oil, and mint.150 grams Yogurt, 2 tablespoon Mint, 100 ml Olive Oil
- Add 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds and a tablespoon of nigella seeds.2 tablespoon Sesame Seeds, 2 tablespoon nigella/onion seeds
- Gently incorporate everything in the dough.
- Do not overmix.
Shaping and preparing the bread for baking.
- Grease the bread pan of your choice, with a little oil.2 teaspoon Olive Oil
- Add the mixed bread dough into the pan.
- Top it with the remaining sesame seeds and nigella seeds.2 tablespoon Sesame Seeds, 2 tablespoon nigella/onion seeds
- Cover and let it rest for 60-70 minutes.
Baking Bread
- Preheat the oven to 200 Deg Celcius / 392 Deg Fahrenheit without fan.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 40-45 minutes.
- The bread is done when you insert a knife and it comes out clean that is no dough sticking. If you have dough sticking bake it further for 5-10 minutes checking every 5 minutes.
- You might see some liquid down from the cheese and the veggies, but the bread is baked if there is no dough sticking.
- Once baked, let it rest in the bread pan for at least 5-10 minutes.
- Once done enjoy it warm. You can either let it cool and slice, or enjoy it warm.
- For me, it was more like a tear and share bread, as I enjoyed it warm.
Notes
- Standard US Cup size used.
- Flour weight can be slightly up and down depending on the flour used.
- Toppings of your choice can be used.
- Cheese can be added a little more up to 200 grams, I kept it low as it is very salty.
- Do keep on checking the bread after 40-45 minutes.
- Oven temperatures are different.
- Changing the pan size will change the baking temperature.
Sharing this with
Bread Bakers, where the theme of this month is Mediterranean Breads by Stacy from Food Lust People Love
BreadBakers is a group of bread-loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.
We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.
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- Bazluma from Magical Ingredients
- Cheese Fatayer from Sneha’s Recipe
- Egyptian Mahlab Bread from Food Lust People Love
- Halloumi Cheese, Olive, and Mint Bread from Cook with Renu
- Ka’ak Asfar from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Olive Oil Blueberry Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Pita from Passion Kneaded
- Scones with Za’atar and Feta from Palatable Pastime
- Sourdough Man’oushe (Za’atar Flatbread) from Zesty South Indian Kitchen
- Vasilopita from A Messy Kitchen
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Kelly
Wednesday 10th of January 2024
Wow, so much flavor! I have made Cypriot flaounes, but this seems much more universally appealing for flavor profile. Not to mention looking amazing!
Radha
Wednesday 10th of January 2024
This is yum! I love the flavor profile of this bread and sounds so delicious that it is hard to stop eating this.
Swathi
Tuesday 9th of January 2024
Halloumi is my favorite cheese, I like that you added olives and mint together. This one of the great bread. I need to try this.
Wendy
Tuesday 9th of January 2024
It looks scrumptious Renu and the bread looks very light and airy.
Karen @karenskitchenstories
Tuesday 9th of January 2024
That bread sounds amazing and the crust is gorgeous! I love the combination of ingredients.