Greek Cheese Pie (Tiropita Koulouriou) | PJ Kabos Recipe

Jul 27, 2024

3 min read

Updated: 3 days ago

Savory Pie/Buns — Breakfast, Snack or Side Dish

Makes approximately 20 small cheese pies

PJ KABOS High-Phenolic Olive Oil Used in This Recipe:

For Cooking: Family Reserve Medium

Tiropita Koulouriou is a traditional Greek savory cheese pie made with extra virgin olive oil, yogurt, eggs and two kinds of cheese. Unlike other Greek cheese pies, the cheese is incorporated directly into the dough, creating delicious, golden-baked buns that are perfect for snacks, lunch boxes and picnics.

PJ Kabos recipes are created to highlight the depth, balance and character of high-phenolic extra virgin olive oil — bringing everyday dishes to life in a simple, natural way.

A beautiful picnic basket with savory cheese buns made of olive oil. A tin of PJ Kabos oil is in the basket showcasing the buns that are topped with poppy seeds. — A picnic basket full of homemade Greek cheese pies, a little PJ Kabos olive oil and a beautiful day outdoors. What more could you ask for?

Greek Cheese Pies — A Delicious Greek Tradition

Greek cheese pies come in many delicious varieties. Traditional Tiropita combines a savory cheese and egg filling between delicate layers of phyllo dough, while Kourou Tiropita encloses its filling in a soft, buttery pastry.

Traditional Greek cheese pies: Tiropita with flaky phyllo pastry and Kourou Tiropita cut open to reveal its cheese filling, on a Mediterranean countertop. — Traditional Tiropita with layers of phyllo pastry (left) and Kourou Tiropita with a soft pastry crust (right).

Tiropita Koulouriou takes a different approach. Rather than enclosing the cheese in a filling, it incorporates feta and another cheese directly into the dough. The result is a soft, flavorful savory bun that's easy to prepare, pack and enjoy.

A plate of freshly bked Tiropita Koulouriou — Greek Cheese Pies or Buns with olive oil on the table used in making them. — Tiropita Koulouriou — Greek Cheese Pies or Buns.

Made with wholesome ingredients, these little cheese pies are a wonderful homemade alternative to packaged cheese snacks. Perfect for breakfast, picnics, children's lunch boxes or an afternoon snack, they can also be served alongside a fresh Greek salad or a bowl of soup.

Interested in the history of Greek cheese pies? Read The Evolution of an Ancient Greek Cheese Pie on our sister site, OliveOil.com.

Greek Cheese Pie (Tiropita Koulouriou) — Watch Video

How to make Tiropita Koulouriou with PJ Kabos High-Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup yogurt
3 eggs
1 cup PJ Kabos Extra Virgin Olive Oil
500 grams (or 3½ cups) self-rising flour
½ tablespoon salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon pepper, or to taste
½ teaspoon paprika, or to taste
½ teaspoon oregano, or to taste
1 cup Kasseri cheese (or Parmesan or Gouda or whichever is your favorite), grated (not fine)
1 cup Feta cheese, crumbled (large pieces)

Preparation

Preheat: Fan-assisted oven to 180°C (350°F); regular oven 200°C (400°F).
For the yogurt/olive oil/eggs: In a large bowl mix together PJ Kabos Extra Virgin Olive Oil, the eggs, and the yogurt.
Dry ingredients: In another bowl, thoroughly mix together all the dry ingredients.
Mix wet and dry ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to yogurt/olive oil/eggs and mix well.
For the cheese: Fold in the crumbled and grated cheeses.
For baking: Line three baking sheets with bake paper. Use your hands to pat out individual buns— about 1½ x 1½ inches (about 3.5 cm) in diameter each — and place on the cookie sheets. Leave about 1½ inches spreading room between each biscuit.
Topping: If desired, brush the tops of the buns with milk. Sprinkle with a small amount of salt and paprika (or whatever is your preferred topping for buns; in the video it is poppy seeds).
Fan-assisted oven: Place all three cookie sheets — on different levels — in the fan-assisted oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes making sure to remove the buns before they start to burn. During the last 5 minutes, you might want to turn the oven down to 150°C (300°F).
Regular oven: If you use a regular oven, bake one cookie sheet at a time at 200°C (400°F).
Freezing: After baking and cooling, these buns freeze beautifully. Just place in an airtight container and take them out and reheat as needed.

You can also have a look around our websites and shop our high-phenolic extra virgin olive oils directly at PJ Kabos.com or OliveOil.com or through PJ Kabos Amazon Store. Follow along with us on Instagram for photos from our groves in Greece, olive oil production, articles, family history and more.