Friday, March 18, 2011

Banitsa


This is a Bulgarian cheese pastry with hand-made pastry sheets.
Start with 1¼  cup of water and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add 2 ½  cup of white unbleached flour. Knead for about 5-6 minutes to make soft elastic dough. Add more flour or water, if needed. Divide in 5 balls and spread a little sunflower oil on each one. Cover with a plastic sheet and let it rest for 1-2 hours.
Put a large (table) cloth on the table and sprinkle flour on it. Rub some flour on your hands and arms too. Take a ball and stretch it carefully with fingers and back of your hands and arms as it increases in size (see pictures).

Rest the sheet on the table from time to time and sprinkle more flour. Continue to stretch until it become very thin. You can cut out some thick parts from the sides if you wish.
Lay the sheet on the table and pour evenly 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil on it. Put crumbled feta cheese (sirene, Bulgarian sirene) evenly on top. Carefully lift one side of the cloth to roll the pastry sheet over itself. Move to a greased baking dish (cookie sheet). The banitsa can be arranged as in spiral (in a round dish), or cut in straight pieces, the size of your baking dish (if rectangular).
Repeat the same with the remaining balls. When the entire banitsa is arranged in the dish, pour evenly on top a mixture of two tablespoons of melted butter and one tablespoon of sunflower oil.
Bake in a preheated (to 400F) oven for about 35 min until the top becomes golden brown.
Take out of the oven and sprinkle a tablespoon of water on top. Then cover with cloth for about 10 min. Remove the cloth and after 10 more minutes it is ready to serve.

No comments:

Post a Comment