Flaó, Menorcan Pastry

Flaó (plural flaons) is a savoury pastry typical of Menorcan gastronomy. While in the past it used to be prepared mainly at Easter, it can now be found at most bakeries all year round. It’s characteristically peculiar shape owes itself to the typical mould used for flaons.

[ssba-buttons]

Prep: 30 minutes | Cook: 30 minutes | Serves: 12

For the dough:

600 grams of flour
200 grams of pork fat (can be substituted with half oil and half fat)
200 ml water
20 grams of baker’s yeast

For the cheese filling:

600 grams of Menorcan cheese
3 eggs
2 tbsp of oil
2 tsps of flour (add more depending on how wet the cheese is)
Salt to taste
Flaons moulds.

Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees.
Dissolve the yeast in a little water, add the flour, fat and knead. Keep adding a little water as you knead. You should end up with a smooth and well bound dough. Let it rest.
While your dough is resting, grate the cheese and mix it with the other ingredients.
Take small amounts of filling (about the size of an egg) and shape into balls. If the filling is too soft, add a little more flour.
Use a rolling pin to flatten pieces of dough into thin disks (you’ll need two disks per flaó).
Place a portion of filling in the center of one of the disks. In the center of the other disk, make incisions resembling an asterix. This is where your cheesy filling will rise out of the pastry.
Press the edges of your disks together and use the mould to cut and shape the dough.
Place the flaons on a baking sheet and leave them to rest.
Bake in the oven until the cheese filling has risen and the pastry takes on a golden colour. Be careful not to open the oven door too early or the filling will collapse.

Did You Know?

[bctt tweet=”Even though the island of Menorca is only a few kilometers long, this pastry (which is made in exactly the same way everywhere) has many names depending on the town – such as flaons, formatjades de formatge, cocas de formatge, or crespells de formatge. #MedFoodHeroes #RootedEveryday” url=”https://bit.ly/2MDaHr7″ prompt=”Tell a friend”]

More recipes to try

Sobrassada Cake

The sobrassada cake is unique to the Balearic Islands, where sobrassada has a long tradition and history. This recipe combines sweet and salt, a surprising yet pleasant combination!

See the full recipe

May 25, 2020

Inspired Mediterranean Recipes Using Sustainable Ingredients

Rose Water Rice Pudding (Riz Bi Haleeb)

#MedFoodHeroes, Lebanese Recipes

Prep time - 20 min |

Cook time - 1 hr |

Serves - 6 |

Flaó, Menorcan Pastry

Did You Know?

More recipes to try

Inspired Mediterranean Recipes Using Sustainable Ingredients

What Are You Cooking?

When you make a dish using sustainable Mediterranean ingredients share the love with a photo of your culinary creation @RootedEveryday #MedFoodHeroes