Cretan Anebata (Kalitsounia Heraklion)
Sweet, soft, leavened cheese pies with honey, cinnamon, and orange zest—an Easter favorite you’ll want all year.
Equipment
- 1 standing mixer
Ingredients
For the dough
- 450 grams strong bread flour or tsoureki flour
- 30 grams soft butter
- 30 ml olive oil extra virgin
- ⅛ tsp masticha powder can be replaced by ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp mahlepi powder can be replaced by ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- 7 grams dry yeast (or 20 g fresh yeast)
- 50 grams sugar
- 180 ml warm milk
- Zest of 1 orange
For the filling
- 500 grams myzithra (or ricotta, strained)
- 2 tbsp Cretan thyme honey (or any other fragrant honey)
- 1 large egg
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
Garnish
- 1 egg (+ water) for eggwash
- Sesame seeds (white)
Instructions
Activate the yeast:
- In the mixer bowl, combine the warm milk, the yeast, 1 tbsp sugar, and 2 tbsp flour.
- Mix, cover, and let rest for 5 minutes until bubbly.
Make the dough:
- To the activated yeast, add the olive oil, the melted butter, the egg, the remaining sugar, the orange zest, the masticha, and the mahlepi.
- Add the rest of the flour and knead for 10 minutes until elastic.
- Cover and let rise 1–2 hours in a warm place until it doubles the size.
Prepare the filling:
- In a bowl, mix the myzithra (or ricotta) with honey, baking powder, cinnamon, and one egg.
- Refrigerate until needed.
Shape the pies:
- Divide the risen dough into 30 g portions. Roll each into a small circle.
- Place a spoonful of the filling in the center, pinch closed, and gently roll into a ball with the closure invisible.
Final rise:
- Place on parchment-lined tray, cover with a towel, and let rise 30 minutes.
- Before baking, brush with the egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds
Bake and serve:
- Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F) and bake for 20 minutes, until golden. Serve with a cup of Greek coffee or Cretan mountain tea.
Nutrition
Calories: 220kcal
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
