This Greek Tiganopsomo recipe brings the authentic tastes of Mediterranean street food right to your kitchen.
A golden-crispy fried bread filled with creamy feta cheese, this 30-minute appetizer perfectly balances crispy exterior with a melty center.
Whether you’re hosting a Mediterranean-themed dinner or seeking a unique vegetarian starter, these stuffed bread pockets deliver restaurant-worthy results with simple home cooking techniques.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: 1 1/4 cups, ensures perfect dough consistency
- Salt: 1/2 teaspoon, enhances overall flavor
- Sugar: 1/2 teaspoon, helps activate the yeast
- Dry yeast: 4g (1/2 tablespoon), main leavening agent
- Lukewarm water: 1/2 cup, perfect temperature for yeast activation
- Olive oil: 1/4 cup, adds Mediterranean flavor
- Feta cheese: 200g (7 ounces), crumbled for filling
- Vegetable oil: As needed for frying
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: Create a well in flour, add salt, sugar, yeast, and olive oil. Knead while gradually adding lukewarm water until smooth and elastic.
- Rest period: Cover dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes to develop flavor.
- Shape and fill: Divide into 4 pieces, roll into thin circles (0.5cm). Place feta on two circles and cover with remaining dough.
- Seal edges: Use a fork to crimp edges together, ensuring cheese stays inside while frying.
- Frying process: Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Fry until golden brown on both sides.
- Finish: Drain on kitchen paper and serve while still warm for best taste.
Cooking Tips for Perfect Results
The magic of tiganopsomo lies in getting that golden-brown crust just right! Keep your oil at medium heat – if it’s too hot, the outside will brown before the cheese melts.
A good test: drop a tiny piece of dough in the oil. It should rise to the surface with gentle bubbles, not a wild sizzle.
And here’s a handy tip: press the edges with a fork twice to make sure that yummy feta stays where it belongs!
Make It Your Own
While traditional tiganopsomo uses feta cheese, you can play around with different Greek cheeses!
Try a mix of feta and graviera for extra melt, or add some crumbled oregano to your feta for an herby twist. Not a fan of feta?
Halloumi works beautifully too. Just remember to stick to firm, salty cheeses that can handle the heat without turning runny.
Perfect Pairings & Serving Ideas
This warm, cheesy bread is a star at any Greek meze spread! Serve it cut into wedges alongside some fresh tomato slices and Kalamata olives.
It’s also amazing with a drizzle of honey – trust me, the sweet-and-salty combo is out of this world!
For a light lunch, pair it with a simple Greek salad. And if you’re hosting, cut it into smaller triangles for the perfect hand-held appetizer.
Storage & Reheating
Fresh tiganopsomo is best eaten right away while the cheese is warm and melty. If you have leftovers, wrap them in foil and pop them in the fridge for up to 2 days.
To reheat, warm them in a dry skillet over low heat for a few minutes on each side – this brings back that lovely crispy exterior. Skip the microwave – it’ll make your bread soggy!
Fried Bread stuffed with Feta Cheese (Tiganopsomo)
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Frying pan
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 4 g dry yeast (1/2 tbsp)
- 1/2 cup lukewarm water
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 200 g feta cheese crumbled (7 ounces)
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- To prepare this delicious fried bread with feta cheese (tiganopsomo), start by making the dough. Add the flour into a large bowl; using your hands make a dimple in the middle and add the 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. 0.5cm thick (that can fit your frying pan). Top two circles of dough with crumbled feta cheese 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. Enjoy while still warm!