The word strudel no doubt conjures up thoughts of stewed apples, flaky pastry and dusted icing sugar. Unlike the Austrian kind, this Bosnian ‘Poppy Seed Strudel’ is more like a sweet bread than an apple strudel, but delicious nonetheless.

The filling is particularly noteworthy, a ground poppy seed paste. I can hear you thinking, poppy seeds…dessert??? Admittedly, it took my taste buds a little getting used to, but after a few bites I couldn’t get enough of the curious but tasty filling.

Apart from poppy seeds, there are other Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian strudel fillings, such as walnuts, apples and cherries. I’ll hopefully have the walnut recipe posted for you all to enjoy in the next few months.

Making strudel

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Recipe

Serves 16

Ingredients
Dough
1 x 7g sachet dry yeast
350ml (1 1/3 cup) milk, warm
70g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
1 free-range or organic egg and 1 egg yolk, room temperature
70g butter, melted
400g (4 cups) plain flour, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
Zest of 1 lemon (leave a pinch of zest for the filling)

Filling
250g poppy seeds, finely ground (to grind poppy seeds use a herb or coffee grinder)
20g (1/4 cup) raisins, roughly chopped
60g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
125ml (1/2 cup) milk, hot
70g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

Egg wash
1 free-range or organic egg
1 tablespoon milk
Pinch of sea salt

Method
1) In a small bowl dissolve yeast in 5 tablespoons of warm milk. Allow to rise and double in size (7-10 minutes).

2) While yeast is fermenting whisk sugar, egg and egg yolk until just combined. Add melted butter and lightly whisk.

3) In a large bowl add sifted flour, vanilla sugar, 3/4 of lemon zest and make a well in the centre. Add sugar and egg mix, yeast and remaining warm milk. Use your fingers or a fork to slowly incorporate the wet and dry ingredients. Once the dough starts to come together knead in the bowl or on a lightly floured surface for 5-8 minutes, or until the dough feels smooth but still a little sticky. Place dough in bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, allow to rest in a warm spot (45 minutes – 1 hour).

4) While dough is proving prepare filling. In a medium bowl combine ground poppy seeds, raisins, caster and vanilla sugar, milk, butter and remaining lemon zest. The filling should be smooth and spreadable, if it’s too dry add a little extra hot milk.

5) Grease a rectangular loaf tin (approx. 12 x 40cm).

6) Lightly whisk egg, milk and salt in small bowl.

7) Knock air out of dough then roll out on lightly floured surface to 1cm thick (approx. 50cm wide and 60cm long). Evenly spread the poppy seed filling over the dough, leaving a 2cm boarder. Fold the short edges and gently roll into a log, brush the exposed edge with egg wash to seal. Place strudel in baking tin, cover with damp tea towel and allow to prove for further 30-45 minutes.

8) Preheat the oven to 180°C.

9) After 45 minutes brush strudel with egg wash and bake in centre of the oven for 35-40 minutes or until golden and cooked through. If strudel browns too quickly loosely cover with sheet of foil to avoid burning.

10) Allow to cool for 10 minutes in tin before turning out. Slice into 2cm thick pieces and serve while warm or at room temperature.

Tip:
The strudel will keep for 3-5 days in the fridge if wrapped well or 4-6 weeks in the freezer.

Urania, my childhood neighbour made the best baklava, so much so that my sister and I pressured our mum into mastering her recipe. She was very particular about using only the freshest of ingredients and about the process. The walnuts had to be crushed with a glass bottle rather than chopped as she believed the flavour was better, she also insisted that stale homemade bread be used rather than processed white bread.

I’m not exactly sure which part of Greece Urania was from as she is no longer with us, all I know is that she was from a village near Athens. What’s obvious about this recipe, is that it’s a genuine village recipe as it calls for stale breadcrumbs, probably because it was cheaper than adding extra nuts. The breadcrumbs are genius, as they help to absorb the syrup, making this baklava the perfect balance of flaky pastry, crunchy nuts and sugary heaven.

Making baklava
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Recipe

Makes 45

Ingredients
2 tablespoons (20g) sesame seeds
500g walnuts
2 slices day old white bread, crusts removed use ciabatta or similar)
1/3 cup (70g) caster sugar
3-6 tablespoons (25-50g) ground cinnamon
250g unsalted butter, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil (e.g. canola or sunflower)
500g filo pastry sheets, thawed at room temperature for 2 hours
(this is approx. 1.5 x 375g packets)

Syrup
3 cups (660g) caster sugar
2 cups (500ml) water
Lemon wedge
3 tablespoons (65ml) honey

Method
1) Preheat oven to 150°C and toast sesame seeds on a tray for 5-10 minutes or until lightly golden and fragrant, cool.

2) Crush walnuts using a bottle or rolling pin (you can also finely chop).

3) Crumb stale bread in a food processor or by rubbing between hands.

4) Increase oven temperature to 180°C.

5) In a bowl combine sesame seeds, walnuts, bread crumbs, caster sugar and cinnamon, mix well and set aside.
Note: Depending on personal taste, you may prefer to add only 3-4 tablespoons of cinnamon.

6) Heat butter and oil in a saucepan over a low heat until butter is melted, set aside and keep warm.

7) Brush a large rectangular baking tray (or two smaller trays) with butter and oil mix. If necessary cut filo sheet length to fit into tray snugly and cover with a damp tea towel to prevent from drying out.

8) Lay a sheet of filo on clean work surface with the longest edge facing you. Working quickly, brush all over with butter and oil mix, top with another sheet of filo and brush again, repeat 2 more times (you should have 4 sheets). Cover remaining filo with a tea towel. Scatter evenly with a 2 handfuls of the nut mixture then roll lengthwise into a long cylinder, if necessary brush the exposed pastry edge with extra butter/oil to seal, then place in baking tray. Repeat with remaining filo and nut mix and brush top with butter/oil.

9) Refrigerate until firm (15 minutes), then cut on a diagonal into 5cm diamonds with a sharp knife. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until lightly golden. Cover loosely with foil partway through cooking if top browns too quickly.

10) Meanwhile, for syrup, combine sugar and water in saucepan and bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until syrup thickens. Take off heat, add lemon wedge and stir in honey. Allow to cool to lukewarm (blood temperature).

11) Cool baklava slightly (2-3 minutes), remove lemon wedge from syrup and evenly pour over. Allow to stand for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight) before refrigerating.

12) Serve at room temperature with an espresso or Turkish coffee.

Tips:
- Baklava will keep refrigerated in it’s tray for up to 2 weeks.
- Baklava also freezes well for up to 3 months.
- Freeze fresh walnuts in an airtight bag for up to 3 months.

This recipe was handed down to my baba by my great grandmother so it’s been in the family for generations. Mlechnik is Macedonia’s answer to quiche, a rustic egg and milk pie made with hand rolled pastry.

Typically made during spring, when the chooks are laying fresh eggs in abundance, this pie is also comforting during the cooler months.

Two types of dough are required, the first includes yeast and is used for the base, the second is yeast free and similar to filo pastry sheets. If you’re stretched for time or find working with dough challenging, a similar, although admittedly not as tasty result can be achieved by replacing the base with store bought puff pastry and a couple of lightly browned filo pastry sheets for the filling.

Our family preference is a basic egg and milk mlechnik, although other regions have been known to add crumbled feta and buttermilk or sour cream.

Preparing base

Preparing thin pastry sheets

Assembling

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Recipe

Serves 14

Ingredients
Base
Sponge (yeast mix)
1 (7g) packet dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon caster sugar
1 tablespoon plain flour
1/4 cup (60ml) lukewarm water

Dough
3 cups (375g) 00 plain bread flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons (40ml) vegetable oil, plus extra for drizzling/brushing
1 cup (250ml) warm water

Pastry sheets
2 cups (250g) 00 plain bread flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus extra for drizzling/brushing
3/4 cup (190ml) warm water

Filling
13-14 free-range or organic eggs, room temperature
1 litre full cream milk, room temperature
1 tablespoon sea salt

You will need:
- Large round 16” baking tray
- Small bowl (for sponge)
- Large mixing bowl (for 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)
- Large non-stick frying pan
- Large bowl (for egg filling)
- Foil sheet

Method
1) Grease large round baking tray with oil (approx. size 40cm in diameter, 4cm high).

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

3) Sift flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Add sponge mix, oil and 2/3 of the warm water and begin to incorporate using one hand while the other turns the bowl, if the dough is too dry add a little extra water (you may not need to add all the water). Knead until the dough comes together (3-5 minutes) and turn out onto a flour dusted surface and continue to knead until smooth (3-5 minutes).

4) Divide the dough into 4 equal portions, dust with flour and knead into round balls. Using the palm of your hand flatten each ball, then roll out to 20cm in diameter, dusting as you go to avoid the dough from sticking to the rolling pin. Use your fingers to create dints in each disc (this will help the oil pool). Drizzle each disc with olive oil and spread the oil all over using your fingers or a brush (I find using my fingers quicker and easier).

5) Layer 3 discs, oil side up on top of each other, place the final disc oil side down and press the edges with your hand to help seal the oil. Turn over and continue pressing with the palm of your hand from the centre to the edges until an even thickness and 30cm in diameter. Dust the top with flour and roll out to 5-10cm larger than the base of your tray. Drizzle oil around the edge of the pastry, spread with your fingers then loosely roll the edges over to create a 2cm high boarder and place in your oiled tray.
Note: The dough should fit snugly in your tray, if necessary stretch out slightly or push in the dough in to help it fit.

6) For pastry sheets, sift flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Add oil and 2/3 of the warm water and begin to incorporate using one hand while the other turns the bowl, if the dough is too dry add the remaining water. Knead until the dough comes together (3-5 minutes) and turn out onto a flour dusted surface and continue to knead until smooth (5-7 minutes).

7) Divide the dough into 3 equal portions, dust with flour and knead into round balls. Using the palm of your hand flatten one of the balls, then roll out to 20cm in diameter, dusting as you go to avoid the dough from sticking to the rolling pin and set aside. Repeat with other 2 dough balls.

8) Heat a large non-stick frying pan (high heat).

9) Using the first flattened disc, dust both sides generously with flour and dust the rolling pin. 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 15-20 times until 50cm in diameter (2mm thick), dusting the edges if they stick. Drizzle over oil and use your fingers or a brush to spread the oil. Gently pick up the edge closest to you and fold the sheet in half, dust with flour and fold in each edge. Transfer the pastry sheet folded side up and place in your hot frying pan. Once the underside begins to dry out (2-3 minutes) turn over and cook for another 2 minutes. Being careful not to burn yourself, use your fingers to unravel the sheet, concentrate on lightly browning the uncooked centre and edges and continue rotating until lightly coloured all over (3-5 minutes), remove from pan and allow to cool. Repeat with remaining dough.
Note: For a quick version, oil and lightly brown 8-10 store bought filo pastry sheets in a moderate oven.

10) Preheat oven to 250°C.

11) In a bowl combine eggs, milk and salt, whisk until well combined
(3 minutes) and set aside.

12) With the prepared dough in the base of your large round baking tray, evenly press the rolled edge into the side and up to the height of to the top of the rim to form an even crust.

13) Roughly tear the cooked pastry sheets into small pieces an evenly spread over the uncooked base. Drizzle with oil, then pour over egg and milk mix, pushing down all the torn pastry to ensure everything is submerged.

14) Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 250°C. After 30 minutes uncover, reduce temperature to 200°C and bake for further 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden and cooked through. If the top browns too quickly loosely cover with foil again.

15) Remove from oven and allow to stand uncovered for 15-20 minutes. Cut and serve while warm with a fresh tomato salad and generous chunks of sheep/goats’s milk cheese or buttermilk.

Tips:
- For a richer pie add crumbled feta to the egg mix.
- Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Mlechnik also tastes good served cold during summer and perfect for picnics.
- For a quick version use store bought puff pastry for the base and lightly browned filo pastry sheets for the filling.

So far I have already posted two maznik recipes, handmade maznik, and cheats maznik with filo pastry. This maznik recipe would have to fall somewhere in between. There’s no yeast required and the process of preparing each sheet is nowhere near as laborious as my mum’s.

Earlier this year I posted a very labour intensive and complicated recipe for Maznik, I promised to follow up with a cheats version, so here it is!

It’s a combination of several recipes recommended by family and friends. It tastes a little bit more like burek than maznik, but tastes delicious nonetheless.

The finished product looks and tastes more complicated than the effort required, so go for it and impress your friends the next time you’re entertaining, they make a lovely entree served with a dollop of lutenka.

Process

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Recipe

Makes 12 pinwheels

Ingredients
22 filo pastry sheets (375g packet)
500g ricotta cheese (you can also cottage cheese but I find it too runny)
2 organic or free-range eggs, lightly beaten
220g feta cheese, coarsely crumbled
100g butter, melted
150ml olive oil
Black poppy seeds (or sesame seeds), for sprinkling

Method
1) Thaw puff pastry at room temperature for 2 hours.

2) Preheat oven to 180ºc and line two trays with baking paper.

3) Combine ricotta, eggs and feta cheese, season to taste and mix well to combine, refrigerate until required.

4) Combine melted butter and olive oil.

5) Lay a sheet of filo on a clean work surface with the longest edge facing you. Brush all over with butter and olive oil mix, top with another sheet of filo and brush again. Cover remaining filo with a tea towel to prevent from drying out. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the filling along the edge closest to you, leaving 3cm from the bottom and each edge. Fold in the sides and carefully roll the pastry over the filling into a long cylinder, brush the exposed pastry edge with extra butter and oil to seal. Gently roll into a snail-like coil, being careful not to split the filo, tuck the end underneath to prevent the coil from unraveling and place on a baking tray. Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling. Brush tops with remaining butter and oil. Sprinkle with poppy seeds and bake for 18-20 minutes or until lightly golden. Cover loosely with foil partway through if filo browns too quickly.

6) Serve while hot or at room temperature with homemade lutenka.

Tips:
- Make ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze cooked pinwheels until required and reheat in the oven before serving
- When rolling the filo, make sure you keep it loose. Rolling to tightly will cause the pastry to split.

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.

Grandma Babeth, who brought us the French Lemon Chicken with Rum and Raisins recipe is a bit of a raisin fan. Even her traditional quiche recipe has the unexpected twist of a handful of raisins. I know what you’re thinking, raisins in quiche, how on earth can such a combination possibly work? Admittedly, I was a little concerned so I only added raisins to half of the quiche, but to my surprise I found the combination heavenly, even moreish. It’s a bit like the sweetness of onions when they’re cooked slowly, delicious.

Making the crust from scratch is easier than I thought and I even made mine by hand, without the aid of a food processor! It took a little bit of time and patience but the taste is so much better than the store bought options. What’s really cute about Grandma Babeth’s recipe is that rather than using baking beans or raw rice to blind bake the tart, she uses dried cherry pits, I just love the old fashioned way of doing things, nothing is ever wasted!

If you’re not a raisin fan, just leave them out. You can even try other combinations like bacon and leek, roast pumpkin, goats cheese and caramelised onion. The options are endless, so get creative!

Line the base with foil and fill with pastry weights, uncooked beans/rice, then blind bake

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Recipe

Serves 8

Ingredients
Shortcrust Pastry
250g plain flour
125g cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 organic or free-range egg yolk, lightly beaten
4-6 tablespoons cold water

Filling
Olive oil
6-8 bacon rashers, rind removed, diced
3 organic or free-range eggs
1 1/2 cups (375ml) sour cream
1 cup (80g) Gruyere cheese, grated (or tasty cheese)
1/3 cup (65g) raisins (optional)
Pinch of grated nutmeg
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method
1) For the pastry, place the flour, salt and butter in a food processor and whiz until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs (15-20 seconds), or if you don’t have a food processor use your fingertips and the palms of your hands to combine the flour and butter in a mixing bowl (5 minutes). If using a food processor tip the mixture into a mixing bowl, make a well in the centre then add egg yolk and 4 tablespoons of chilled water and stir with a butter knife until the dough just comes together. If it seems too dry add another 1-2 tablespoons of water (try not to make the dough too wet). Gently shape the dough into a smooth ball. Wrap in plastic and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

2) Roll pastry out on a lightly floured work surface to the thickness of a coin (3-5mm). Loosely drape the pastry over the rolling pin and gently place over a 23-25cm tart tin, 3-4cm deep, with a removable base. Evenly press the pastry into the edges of the tin and leave a little excess overhanging the sides. Chill for 30 minutes.

3) Preheat oven to 200°C.

4) Remove chilled pastry from fridge. Prick the base with a fork every 1-2cm. Line the base with foil and fill with pastry weights, uncooked rice or beans. Blind bake for 15-20 minutes or until the sides are lightly golden. Remove the foil and weights and return to the oven for another 5 minutes or until dry and there are no uncooked patches. Remove and allow to cool slightly (10-15 minutes). Using a sharp knife, trim off the excess pastry to be level with the rim, or if you prefer leave as is for a more rustic look.

5) Meanwhile, heat olive oil (or butter) in a frypan (medium heat). Add bacon and fry until softened and slightly crispy (5 minutes). Drain on absorbent paper and allow to cool.

6) Reduce oven temperature to 150°C. Beat eggs, sour cream, salt and pepper until well combined and smooth. Stir in the nutmeg, cheese, bacon and raisins (optional). Pour the filling into the pastry base. If you like, sprinkle over some extra grated cheese. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the filling is set and golden on top. Cool slightly, then unmould and slice. Eat while warm or at room temperature with a simple green salad.

Tips:
- To test if the quiche is cooked, insert a knife into the centre, if it comes clean the quiche is ready.
- Watch video on how to make shortcrust pastry by hand
- Watch video on how to make shortcrust pastry with a food processor

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

With summer in full swing and chillies on regular supply (thanks family!) I’m afraid you’ll be seeing a few more of my quick rustic family favourites.

Typically eaten for breakfast or lunch, the charm of this dish is serving it the old fashioned way, in the middle of the table with a pile of fresh bread, yoghurt and a juicy tomato salad. Everyone helps themselves from the communal pan/bowl and the best part is wiping it clean with bite sized pieces of bread.

Any leftovers taste great the following day for a quick breakfast or lunch on buttered toast.

De-seed chillies by cutting the top off, then cut in half lengthways and remove the seeds and membrane……………………………………………………………………………………

Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients
8-10 long banana chillies (also known as Hungarian or bullhorn chillies, if unavailable replace with 2-3 red or green capsicums)
Olive oil
1 medium tomato, blanched, peeled and roughly chopped (or 2-3 tablespoons of an Italian style tomato passata)
5 large organic or free-range eggs, lightly beaten
50g feta cheese, roughly crumbled
Sea salt to taste

Method
1) Wash and dry chillies, discard stems and seeds, roughly chop.

2) Heat a medium pan (medium-high heat), coat base with olive oil, add chillies and sprinkle with salt, stir frequently to avoid from burning or browning too quickly, fry until fragrant (5-7 minutes). Reduce heat to medium, add tomato, stir and fry until fragrant (2-3 minutes).

3) Reduce heat to medium-low, add beaten eggs, use a spatula to fold eggs (push mixture from the outside of the pan to the centre), sprinkle over cheese and fold again, continue to do this until eggs are almost cooked (3-5 minutes), remove from heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

4) Serve in the middle of the table with fresh bread, yoghurt and
tomato salad.

Tips:
- For other variations of this recipe replace the feta cheese with cottage cheese or sour cream.
- To peel the tomato, wash, remove stem and cut an ‘X’ into the base no bigger than 2cm and no deeper than 3mm. Place tomato in a bowl, pour over boiling water and allow to stand for 1 minute. Carefully remove from hot water and peel when cool enough to handle.
- The easiest way to de-seed chillies is by cutting the top off and discarding the stem, then cut in half lengthways to remove the seeds and membrane.

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

……………………………………………………………………………………

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.