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Recipe

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
400g raw walnut halves
4-6 cups water
6 tablespoons pomegranate paste or molasses (available in Middle Eastern grocery stores)
1  onion, coarsely grated
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
500-700g chicken pieces (4-6 pieces preferably with bones and skin off)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
3-4 saffron threads
2 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)
1/2 teaspoon golpar (optional, available in Middle Eastern grocery stores)

Directions
1) Using a mortar and pestle or food processor grind walnuts finely until sticky, but do not over-process.

2) In a large saucepan or casserole add the walnuts, 4 cups of water, pomegranate and stir until well combined.

3) Add onion, pepper, salt, turmeric and stir. Place the saucepan or casserole over medium heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stir frequently to avoid burning. Once the sauce has darkened in colour (a result of the oil released from the walnuts) add chicken pieces and vegetable oil, stir to coat. Allow to simmer and cook gently for 1.5 hours, adding remaining water as necessary and gently stirring to prevent scorching.

4) Add tomato paste, saffron, lemon juice, golpar and simmer for a further 30 minutes.
Note: If you prefer no bones take out chicken pieces from stew before adding other ingredients and remove skin and bones, shred the meat and return to stew.

5) Adjust seasoning if necessary, add more salt or lemon depending on your taste. If you prefer it sweet add a pinch of sugar. The end result will be a thick sauce, rich brown in colour.  Serve with plain or saffron basmati rice.

Tips:
- In the north of Iran this recipe is sour, other regions prefer a sweet and sour flavour, the taste will depend on the type of pomegranate paste.
- Although not traditional I think this recipe would work with a scattering of fresh pomegranate.

Last year my gorgeous husband and I spent three weeks celebrating our wedding anniversary in New York City. During our stay in Manhattan we sampled a lot of food and ate at some incredible restaurants, including the famous Balthazar, Lupa by Mario Batali, Public, DBGB, Peasant, Craft and Inoteca…just to name a few. Naturally one thing we ate a lot of was pizza; because if there’s one thing New Yorkers really know, it’s pizza!

Outside the The Standard, Meatpacking, NYC

We had many variations, traditional margarita, white cheese and clam and a divine goats cheese, pancetta and caramelised onion pizza by Batali. For me the highlight pizza was a really simple thin crust white cheese, prosciutto and rocket combo from Emporio. It was heavenly! And I have been trying my best to replicate it ever since.

My hubby in front of the famous Lombardi’s Pizza, Soho, NCY

The pizza dough recipe is from an Italian friend that runs a small pizza bar. The secret to the fluffy dough is the addition of milk. Making pizza dough from scratch does take a little effort but it really isn’t that hard. If you’re pressed for time replace with a thin Lebanese pita bread or flour tortilla/wrap.

Once you’re an expert, you can get creative and try all sorts of variations, we have been enjoying a beautiful fig and goats cheese pizza thanks to Sprouted Kitchen. The only danger here is that you’ll never want to eat pizza out again!

How to make pizza
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Recipe

Makes 3 smaller or 2 large pizzas

Ingredients
Pizza dough
Sponge (yeast mix)
1 x 7g satchel dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon caster sugar
1 tablespoon bread flour
1/4 cup (60ml) lukewarm water

250g (2 cups) bread flour, sifted, plus extra to dust
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing
2 tablespoons milk, room temperature
130ml (1/2 cup) lukewarm water

Ground semolina flour for dusting (optional)

Topping
120g taleggio cheese, cut into cubes
160g bocconcini cheese, torn or thinly sliced (2-3 balls per pizza)
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Sea salt

2 handfuls rocket leaves, washed and dried
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/4 lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

12 extra thin slices of prosciutto

Method
1) Stir yeast, sugar, flour and water in a small bowl until smooth (1 minute). Allow to rest (7-10 minutes) or until doubled in size.

2) Meanwhile sift flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the centre.

3) Once the sponge (yeast mix) has doubled in size add to the centre of the well, along with the olive oil, milk and water. Begin to slowly incorporate with your fingers, as the dough starts to come together turn out onto a flour dusted surface and knead with both hands until the dough starts to feel smooth and elastic (5-7 minutes). Roll the dough into a neat ball, dust the bowl with flour and place the dough in the bowl, brush the top with a little oil to prevent a crust from forming. Cover with a clean tea towel and stand in a warm place for 2-3 hours until doubled in size.

4) After 2-3 hours preheat oven to 220ºc and place a large flat baking tray (I use a Bessemer oven pan), pizza stone or granite slab on the bottom shelf.

5) Remove the dough to a flour-dusted surface and knead it around a bit to knock the air out. Divide into two or three portions and roll each into a ball. You can use the dough immediately or keep it wrapped in plastic wrap, in the fridge (or freezer) until required. If using straight away, place one of the balls on a lightly floured surface and use the palm of your hand to flatten into a round or oval shape (depending on your tray). Gently push out the dough with your fingertips until 5mm thick, leaving a slightly thicker edge to prevent the topping from running off, alternatively use a rolling pin to evenly roll out. Place on a sheet of aluminum foil which has been brushed with olive oil and dusted with ground semolina flour (use plain flour if unavailable). Allow to stand for 15-20 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Note: If you have guests coming over and would like to get the rolling out of the way simply stack the pizzas on sheets of foil, being sure to brush the top of each pizza base with olive oil to avoid the dough from sticking, cover with plastic wrap and pop them into the fridge until required.

6) Have the two cheeses, olive oil, salt and pepper close by then carefully remove the pre-warmed tray, pizza stone or granite slab from the oven using a triple-wrapped tea towel and place one of the pizza bases on it. Working quickly as the dough will begin to bubble, scatter over bocconcini and taleggio, drizzle over olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until the base is crisp and golden.

7) Meanwhile prepare the rocket. In a medium bowl combine olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, whisk vigorously with a fork to emulsify, add rocket, using your fingers gently toss to coat. Set aside until required.

8) Place pizza on a cutting board, cut into 4 slices (6 slices if oval/rectangular shaped), drape prosciutto over each slice. Scatter the dressed rocket over the hot pizza and serve.

Tip: Once you have mastered making beautiful crisp pizzas, use the same dough recipe to make a calzones.

It’s Easter this week and I have made it my mission to post as many traditional recipes as I possibly can.

While fasting, a staple is homemade bread, but my baba’s bread isn’t any bread. Many (including myself) have tried to replicate her recipe and technique and although it tastes good, we just can’t seem to get it as fluffy. Everyone in my family agrees that no one makes bread better than baba. We all love it so much that we’ve lovingly named it ‘Baba Bread’. There’s no mystery about the ingredients (flour, water, yeast, salt) but it’s the technique that makes this deliciously soft bread a favorite.

Making bread is easy, it’s an ancient technique and I’d love for you to give it a go. You’ll love the delicious and sweet yeasty smell that fills your home.

Baba making bread

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Recipe

Makes 1 medium loaf

Ingredients
Sponge (yeast mix)
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 tablespoon dried yeast (or 2 x 7g satchel)
1/4 cup (60ml) lukewarm water

Dough
4 1/2 cups (560g) plain white bread flour (‘00’), plus extra for dusting
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/4 cups (560ml) lukewarm water

Method
1) Stir yeast, flour and water in a small bowl until smooth (1 minute). Allow to rest (7-10 minutes) or until double in size.

2) Meanwhile sift flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the centre.

3) Once the sponge (yeast mix) has doubled in size add to the centre of the well and some of the lukewarm water. Begin to slowly incorporate with your fingers. Gradually add all the water and as the dough starts to come together use one hand to scrunch while the other turns the bowl until the dough starts to feel smooth and moves as one (7-10 minutes). Every so often scrape off some of the dough stuck to your hand with a spoon. To finish, pull the dough from the outside edge into the centre with your finger tips until you have a ball. Using the edge of your hand make a cross on top (baba’s tradition to reminder us that bread is from God). Dust the top with flour and cover with a tea towel. Allow to rest for 30-60 minutes (depending on the weather) or until double in size.
Note: The dough will be wet and sticky, however this makes a very soft bread. For a dry dough which is easier to knead add a little more flour.

4) Oil a 20-24cm round cake tin and dust the base with flour.

5) Once the dough has risen knead for a further 3-5 minutes in the same bowl. To finish, pull the dough from the outside edge into the centre with your finger tips until you have a lovely neat ball. Turn the dough over so that the top is smooth, dust with flour and place into the oiled and flour dusted cake tin. Loosely cover with a clean tea towel an allow to rest for a further 30 minutes.

6) Preheat oven to 200ºc.

7) Bake for 10 minutes at 200ºc. After 10 minutes the top should start to brown slightly, cover the top with a sheet of foil and bake for a further 10 minutes. Remove the foil and reduce oven temperature to 100ºc and bake for a final 10 minutes (30 minutes in total).

8) Remove bread from tin and eat immediately or wrap in a clean tablecloth (or a couple of tea towels) to keep warm.

Tips:
- The wetter the dough the softer your bread will be. For a firmer dough/bread, add more flour.
- Keep any leftover bread in the fridge for up to 5 days and reheat in the microwave or grill.

Most cultures have their special version of the humble crépe, in the Balkans they’re called palachinki. Like other traditional recipes this one calls for a couple of basic ingredients, so you can make them at any time. Unlike the French who like their’s Suzette, I like my baba’s unique garlic and walnut dipping sauce.

If your not up for the robust taste of raw garlic, you can always opt to eat them plain with homemade jam or perhaps smothered with nutella and rolled up. Occasionally I go for ajvar (chilli spread) and a generous amount of crumbled feta…yum!!! However you like to eat your palachinki I encourage you to try this recipe, the combination of garlic and walnuts is really interesting and delicious too.

With lent in full swing, many Christians are fasting and eliminating all meat and dairy for a vegan diet. The last week of lent calls for leaving oil out too! Palachinki are a common staple during this period. Simply leave out the egg and milk (and the oil during the final week) and add a little more water.

Layer the palachinki

Enjoy the interesting combination of garlic and walnuts

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Recipe

Makes 6-8 palachinki

Ingredients
Batter
1 cup (125g) plain flour, sifted
1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups (440ml) water (or 1 cup water and 3/4 cup milk)
1 tablespoon (20ml) vegetable or light olive oil, plus extra for greasing

Garlic dipping sauce
1-2 garlic cloves, finely grated/crushed
1 1/2 tablespoons (30ml) olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup hot water

1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely crushed for sprinkling

Method
1) Sift the flour, bicarbonate soda and salt into a medium mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Break the egg into the well and work in some of the flour with a fork. Add water, olive oil and loosely incorporate with fork, then whisk until smooth and airy (I use a hand held electric beater for 3-5 minutes).

2) Heat a medium non-stick frying pan (low-medium heat). Wipe the pan with an oiled tissue/paper towel. Pour mixture into a jug or use a ladle. Lift pan from the heat, then pour/ladle in the batter and swirl to spread to the edges of the pan so you get a nice thin, even layer (only ladle in enough batter to cover the bottom thinly). Set back over heat, cook for 2-3 minutes until the batter appears dry on top, gently peel around the edges with the spatula and flip using your fingers to aid (be gentle as it will tear easily). Cook for a further 2-3 minutes until golden in colour and flip one more time, this time the palachinka will bubble and puff up as the moisture escapes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm in a low oven while you cook the rest. Oil the pan before frying each palachinka.
Note: Stir the batter every so often to avoid a gluggy mixture, it should be consistent and watery.

3) Once all the palachinki are cooked, prepare your garlic dipping sauce. Combine garlic, salt and olive oil in a medium bowl and mix well. Stir in the boiling water and allow to cool slightly (3-5 minutes).

4) Quickly bath/soak each palachinka in the garlic sauce, place on a plate then sprinkle with crushed walnuts. Repeat the process and finish with a final drizzle of the sauce, a sprinkling of extra walnuts and a drizzle of olive oil. Slice and serve while warm or at room temperature.

Tips:
- To make this a vegan recipe leave out the egg and milk and replace with extra water.
- Rather than stacking, roll each palchinka into a cylinder and cut in half to make easy to eat portions.

Kifli, or kiflici as they are otherwise known are a much loved Eastern European delicacy. Some make them with butter and sour cream, others with lard. My families recipe is a much healthier variation, using vegetable oil and milk. The texture is soft and fluffy, ideal for moping up a juicy tomato salad or lutenka.

Often filled with a mixture of creamy cottage cheese and feta, you can get adventurous and fill with plum jam and walnuts or even nutella, sprinkling with brown sugar rather than sesame seeds.

Kifli process

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Recipe

Makes 48

Ingredients
Sponge (yeast mix)
1/3 cup (80ml) lukewarm water
2 (7g) packet dry yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons 00 plain bread flour

Dough
6 1/2 cups (815g) 00 plain bread flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
2 organic or free-range eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup (185ml) water, room temperature
3/4 cup (185ml) milk, room temperature
3/4 cup (185ml) vegetable oil (e.g. canola), plus extra for drizzling

Filling
200g feta cheese, crumbled
250g cottage cheese, room temperature

1 organic or free-range egg, lightly beaten for brushing
Sesame seeds for sprinkling (optional)

You will need:
• Small bowl or mug (for sponge)
• Large bowl (for dough)
• Damp tea towel (to cover the resting dough)
• Clean table or workbench
• Rolling pin
• Cake spatula
• 2 large baking trays
• Brush

Method
1) Stir sugar, yeast and flour in a small bowl/mug until smooth (1 minute). Allow to rest (7-10 minutes) or until double in size.

2) Grease 2 large baking trays with vegetable oil.

3) In a medium bowl combine the cottage cheese and feta cheese, mix well and set aside.

4) In a large bowl add sifted flour and salt and make a well in the centre, add sponge (yeast mix), eggs, water, milk and oil. Using your fingers start to incorporate the wet ingredients with the flour, as the dough starts to come together begin to knead with one hand while the other turns the bowl (5-7 minutes). Using the edge of your hand make a cross on top (this is my gorgeous baba’s tradition). Dust the top with flour and cover with a damp tea towel. Allow to rest for 15-20 minutes or until double in size and the cross has expanded.

5) Once the dough has risen knead for a further 1-2 minutes in the bowl and turn out onto a flour dusted surface, dust the top of the dough with extra flour and gently roll to cover all over. Using a spatula cut into 6 equal portions and knead into 6 round balls, set aside and cover with a tea towel.

6) Take one of the balls and flatten with the palm of your hand into an even circle approximately 20cm in size. Dust the top with flour and use a rolling pin roll out to 35-40cm circle. Drizzle with oil and gently spread out using your finger tips. Cut into 8 even quarters. Working quickly add a heaped teaspoon of the cheese filling at the top of each quarter, turn the corners in slightly and roll the dough over the filling towards the centre until half way, now stretch the dough back towards you slightly (5cm) to lengthen (this will give you a nice envelope shape), continue rolling over with the end neatly hidden underneath. Arrange on tray and repeat with the remaining dough, working as quickly as possible. Allow the first tray to rest uncovered and relax for 15-20 minutes, then brush with lightly beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds, allow to stand for a further 10-15 minutes. Repeat this process with second tray, allowing 15-20 minutes of resting time before brushing with egg and resting again for a further 10-15 minutes.

7) Preheat oven to 200°C.

8) Bake the first tray which has been resting for 5 minutes at 200°C or until lightly golden on the edges, reduce oven temperature to 150°C and bake for another 5 minutes, finally reduce oven to 100°C baking for 5-10 minutes or until lightly golden all over. Bake the second tray in the same manner.

9) Once baked allow to stand for 5-10 minutes and remove from tray. Serve while warm or at room temperature as meze with lutenka or a tomato salad during summer. During winter enjoy with a cup of warm tea for breakfast or a glass of red wine in the evening.

Tip: Kifli freeze well for up to 3 months, simply defrost, reheat in the oven and serve while warm.

Traditionally maznik is made every “Suro”, for the “Old New Year” celebrated on 14 January (following the Julian calendar). A gold coin (wrapped in foil) is placed into the dough and baked. Each family member is then cut a slice of maznik, the tray is spun three times and the person that finds the coin has a full year of ‘good luck’. It’s a lot of fun and definitely something we all look forward to.

My great grandmother, Baba Pera taught mum how to make maznik at the young age of 12. There was no written recipe and no measuring cups, the recipe had been memorized and practiced for generations and passed down to all the females in the family.

It’s likely that maznik dates back to the Turkish Ottomon rule of the Balkans as each country has their own version. In Macedonia, maznik is a national dish, and dear to the hearts (and stomachs) of many. Making it on the other hand is back-breaking stuff and anyone who has attempted it, or has watched it being made knows it’s a labour of love and requires quite a lot of practice. Although it’s hard work, my goodness is it worth it! Handmade filo-like pastry rolled and filled with feta and baked until golden and flaky.

Maznik can be made by rolling (suchenje) or pulling (tegnenje) the dough. Rolling is definitely the more difficult of the two techniques but in my opinion is the tastiest and most delicate.

Maznik tastes best while still warm and enjoyed with fresh tomato salad and yoghurt.

P.S. I promise to follow this recipe up with a quick ‘Cheats Maznik’ recipe with store bought filo pastry.

Maznik process……………………………………………………………………………………

Recipe

Makes 2 large mazniks (or 3 small)

Ingredients
Sponge (yeast mix)
1/2 cup (125ml) lukewarm water
1 (7g) packet dry yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons flour

Dough
1kg 00 plain bread flour, sifted, plus an additional 500g for dusting
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons (60ml) cold water
2 tablespoons (40ml) warm water
2 2/5 cups (600ml) lukewarm water, depending on the weather you may not need to use all of the water
2 1/2 tablespoons (50ml) vegetable oil

2 cups (500ml) vegetable oil (canola or rice bran oil)
500g feta cheese, grated
Sesame seeds for sprinkling (optional)

You will need:
- Large bowl (for dough)
- Damp tea towel (to cover the resting dough)
- Clean tablecloth or bench
- Long thin rolling pin (make your own by purchasing a 1.2m length of  unfinished dowel from your hardware store and sand until very smooth)
- 2-3 large round trays (16″ pizza trays work well)
- Rectangular baking tray (for resting dough balls)
- 2 dinner plates, dusted with flour (to rest flattened dough)
- 2 medium bowls (1 for dusting flour, the other for grated feta cheese)
- Mug and tablespoon (for drizzling oil)

Method
1) To make sponge, stir water, yeast, sugar and flour in small bowl until smooth (1 minute). Allow to rest (7-10 minutes) or until double in size.

2) Grease round trays with vegetable oil.

3) Sift flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add 3 tablespoons cold water, 2 tablespoons warm water and sponge (yeast mix). Use one hand to combine/mix while the other turns the bowl and combine the mixture (2 minutes). Add 1/3 of the water and mix again (3 minutes), add another third and combine (3 minutes), with the remaining water slowly add small amounts until the dough begins to clump and move as one (5 minutes).

4) Dust tablecloth or bench generously with flour. Place 1/3 of the dough (1/2 if you only have 2 large round trays) onto the surface, clean your hands properly to remove all the wet dough (rubbing with flour works best). Cover the remaining dough in the bowl with a damp tea towel to stop it from drying out. Return to the work surface and dust the top of the dough with flour and gently roll to cover all over, cut into 8 pieces (size of tennis balls) and knead into even balls (knead 20 seconds per ball), place onto an oiled tray, drizzle top with oil. Take the first ball (which will have flattened slightly), dust and knead again into an even ball, flatten using the palm of your hand, flipping 2-3 times and roll out to 20cm in diameter, rest on a flour dusted plate. Repeat with another ball, flattening and similarly rest on another floured plate.

5) Using the flattened dough from the first plate, dust both sides generously, dust the rolling pin and begin to roll out to an even circle (30-40cm in diameter). Dust with flour again, wrap one end of the sheet over the rod and quickly roll while gently pulling the dough, unroll in the opposite direction, i.e. if rolling from the left, when unrolled the rod will end up on the right. Use your rod to gently roll and even out the circle. Dust again and repeat this process another 2-3 times, rolling from left and pulling out to the right. By now the dough sheet should be thinner and larger so it will tear more easily. Dust with flour (concentrating on the edges as they will be stickier), once again wrap one end of the sheet over the rod and quickly roll while gently pulling the dough, unroll in the opposite direction. This time don’t use your rod to roll and re-shape. Repeat this process another 15 times and only dust with flour every 2-3 times or as required (e.g. if the dough sticks) until rolled out to a large even circle (approx. 1m in diameter).

6) Drizzle over oil by dipping your spoon vertically into the oil and quickly removing, then drizzling in a circle motion. Evenly sprinkle with 2 heaped handfuls of feta cheese. Using your fingers gently pick up the edge closest to you and fold over until half way, pick up the opposite side and fold over until just overlapped, drizzle with oil again and gently roll into a long sausage (if rolling on a tablecloth this can also be done by lifting the edge of the tablecloth closest to you and allowing the pastry to naturally fall/roll). Starting in the centre, arrange in an even coil on your oiled round baking tray (in a snail shape).

7) Return to your work area, take one of the balls (which will have flattened slightly), dust and knead again into an even ball, flatten using the palm of your hand, flipping 2-3 times and roll out to 20cm in diameter, rest on your empty flour dusted plate. Take the other rolled dough from your other plate and repeat steps 5 and 6 and continue to do this until the tray has been filled (you will need approx. 6-8 coils).

8) Once you have a full tray of coils, drizzle generously with oil, particularly around the edges and sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional). Allow to rest uncovered for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 200°C.

9) While the maznik is resting prepare your 2nd tray and repeat steps 4 to 8.

10) Bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden. Rest for 10 minutes and serve while warm or at room temperature.

Tips:
- Maznik will keep refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat in a hot oven before serving, it tastes almost as good as fresh maznik.
- Check out this video of an expert maznik maker, the technique is slightly different but  it will help to give you an idea of how thin each sheet needs to be

Hello and welcome to 2010!

By now many of you have pulled down the Christmas tree, reluctantly returned to work and successfully convinced yourself that no carbs and going to the gym every day for the next two weeks isn’t such a bad idea. For my family and I, the Christmas festivities continue as this week is “Bozik”, the traditional Orthodox Christmas celebrated on 7 January (it’s based on the old Julian calendar).

I have so many lovely memories of making bread with Mum for “Koleda” (Christmas Eve). We always made two types of bread, dolls for the girls and bicycles for the boys. The breads are given as gifts to all the children with lollies and other treats rather toys. I’m not sure how long the tradition has been around for, but there’s one thing for sure, I’m committed to keep it going.

Even if you don’t celebrate Koleda, making these with the kids over the holidays is a wonderful way to get them involved in the kitchen. Alternatively, you can bake as a loaf and eat while warm with a generous spread of butter and a sprinkling of crumbled feta cheese.

Add the sponge (yeast mix) to the centre of the well and incorporate

Continue to mix until the dough begins to come together and pulls away from your fingers

Remove the dough to a flour-dusted surface

Making the bicycle

Making the village doll

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Recipe

Makes 2 dolls and 2 bikes (or 1 medium loaf)

Ingredients
Sponge (yeast mix)
1 level tablespoon plain flour
1 tablespoon dried yeast (or 1 x 7g sachet)
1/2 teaspoon caster sugar
1/4 cup (60ml) lukewarm water

Dough
2 1/2 cups (330g) plain white bread/pizza flour (‘00’) sifted, plus extra for dusting
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (250ml) lukewarm water

Method
1) For sponge, combine yeast, flour, sugar and lukewarm water in a small bowl, mix well until there are no lumps (it should have a slurry-like consistency), allow to stand in a warm spot for 10 minutes.
2) Meanwhile sift flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the centre.
3) Once the sponge (yeast mix) has double in size add to the centre of the well with some of the lukewarm water. Begin to slowly incorporate with your fingers (or a fork). Gradually add all of the water and use your fingers to knead, while turning the bowl with your other hand. Continue to mix until the dough begins to come together and pulls away from your fingers (approx. 10 minutes). To finish, gently pull in the dough from the edge of the bowl to the centre to form a neat ball, flour the top, cover with a tea towel and place in a warm spot to prove for 30-45 minutes (depending on the weather).
Note: The weather will also dictate how much flour and water is used, the dough should be quite wet but pull away from your fingers.
4) After 30 minutes gently knead the dough (still in the same bowl) for 2 minutes. Remove the dough to a flour-dusted surface, gently roll to coat with flour and divide into 4 large balls and 1 small ball (the size of a golf ball). Knead each ball for a further 2 minutes, dusting with flour as needed until most of the air is knocked out and the dough stops sticking to your hands.
5) To make a bicycle, roll out one of the balls into a long even shape (30-40cm in length). Coil each end in opposite directions until you have an even bike-like shape, i.e. roll left end upwards and right end downwards towards the centre.
6) To make a doll, roll out one of the balls into an oval shape and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Pinch in at the top to make the head, cut arms and legs, smooth out the edges and lengthen the arms and legs slightly. Roll out the small ball (the size of a golf ball) into a long thin strip, cut in half (use the remaining half when making the other doll) and wrap around the dolls head to mimic a scarf, hiding the edges under each arm. Use your fingers pinch eyes and a mouth.
7) Place onto an oiled and flour-dusted tray, dust top with flour and loosely cover with a clean towel, rest for a further 30 minutes. Preheat fan forced oven to 200ºc.
8) Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly golden. After 10 minutes loosely cover with a sheet of foil and bake for a further 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 100ºc, remove foil and bake for final 10 minutes (30 minutes in total). Remove bread from oven and wrap in 2 large tea towels to keep warm.

Tip: Feel free to bake as round bread rolls or a medium loaf, the texture is similar to that of a dense European-style loaf.

These rustic little gems are a taste sensation. They are by no means low in fat (fried and stuffed with cheese), but they certainly are a special treat, and in my opinion one of life’s pleasures.

Each year my baba (grandmother) makes us a birthday dish, we can choose from any of her specialties, but every year for as long as I can remember I have requested ‘pitulici so sirenje’. The light and fluffy dough is a perfect match with the salty cheese…yum!

They’re great when eaten warm or at room temperature. If there are any leftovers you’ll need to pop them in the fridge. They’ll keep in the fridge for a few days and you can even freeze them – I then blitz them in the microwave for a few seconds until the cheese is just warm and quickly devour.

Like most village recipes I know there are lots of variations (e.g. a sugar coated version) but this recipe is based on my baba’s and we all think she’s an expert, so I feel privileged in sharing this recipe and promise you wont be disappointed.

Fluffy dough mix

Gently frying

Ready for stuffing

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Recipe

Makes 12

Ingredients
Sponge (yeast mix)
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 tablespoon of dried yeast (or 1 x 7g satchel)
1/4 cup (60ml) lukewarm water

Dough
1 3/4 cups (200gm) plain white bread/pizza flour, sifted
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 tablespoon (20ml) rakia* (a Macedonian spirit, replace with vodka or a similar white spirit)
1 cup (250ml) soda water

Vegetable oil for shallow frying (approx. 500ml)
120g crumbled Bulgarian sheep’s or goat’s milk white cheese (available from some major supermarkets and most delis, replace with regular feta if unavailable)

Method
1) In a small bowl combine yeast, flour, lukewarm water and mix well until there are no lumps (it should have a slurry consistency), allow to stand in a warm spot for 10 minutes.

2) Meanwhile sift flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the centre.

3) In a medium bowl whisk egg, add rakia, soda water and whisk well until light and fluffy (1-2 minutes), then pour into the well. Whisk by hand for approximately 7-10 minutes until there no bubbles and the mixture begins to form ribbons (be prepared as it’s a bit of a work out).

4) Allow the dough mix to rest uncovered in a warm spot for 30 minutes. To help the dough rise place over a smaller bowl of hot water to create a bain marie (this is optional).

5) After 30 minutes the mixture should double in size and have lots of bubbles on the surface. Heat vegetable oil in a medium frying pan (approximately 3cm deep) on low-medium heat.

6) While the oil is heating gently whisk the dough to evenly distribute the air (1 minute). Grab a tablespoon and a teaspoon, a plate to rest them on (as you’ll make a bit of a mess) and a tray with kitchen paper or a cake rack to drain the pitulici on once they are cooked.

7) Test if the oil is hot enough by dropping a small amount of the dough in the oil, if it gently sizzles it’s ready. Coat both spoons with the hot oil, use the lager spoon to scoop up some of the dough mix and use the teaspoon to hold the dough in place and gently drop into the oil (this takes a little practice and the first couple may be a little messy but you’ll get better with each one). Quickly repeat the process being careful not to overcrowd the pan. The pitulici should be organic in shape and approximately 7cm in diameter (you don’t want them too big). Turn over when you notice little bubbles appear on the surface (similar to when making pancakes), fry on the other side for a further 2 minutes until lightly golden in colour (if they brown too quickly your oil is too hot), lift out and drain on kitchen paper or rack.

8) While the pitulici are draining crumble the cheese into a small bowl. Cut each pitulica 1/2 open to create a little pocket (similar to pocket bread) and stuff with a tablespoon of crumbled cheese. (If you are making sweet pitulici leave whole and coat with caster sugar while warm).

9) Arrange on a plate and serve immediately as meze (appetizer) or cover with foil and keep at room temperature for up to 2 hours until your guests arrive.

* Rakia is believed to lighten the dough and decrease the amount of oil absorbed while frying.

Tip: To reuse the oil, allow to cool then strain trough a fine sieve and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 months.