Dobrogea Pie with Telemea Cheese and Semolina

 Ingredients: For the dough: - 400-500 grams of regular flour - 125 ml of warm water - one tablespoon of vinegar - a pinch of salt Or you can opt for store-bought dough. Filling: - 200 grams of old sheep cheese. Fat - 400 ml of Greek yogurt, regular or 200 ml of thick sour cream mixed with 100 ml of milk - one tablespoon of sugar - 100 grams of semolina. Butter or lard for greasing the dough - egg for brushing before baking.

If you have the chance to visit the Black Sea coast or just to take a trip to Dobrogea, don't miss these delicious pies! The history of this pie is quite old, with origins in the Phanariot era, and variations of it can be found throughout the Balkans and Turkey. However, for now, we have the registered trademark of "Dobrogea pie," which we even served to European parliamentarians, offering them about 1000 pies! I can proudly say that my aunt from Mangalia was one of the pastry chefs who provided these delicious pies in Strasbourg.

There are also some variants of Dobrogea pie with sweet cow cheese, but this is not the traditional pie. In Dobrogea, due to the climate and terrain, cattle are not very common, with sheep and goats being more often encountered. For this reason, the telemea cheese made from sheep's milk has a sharper taste and is slightly saltier than in other areas of the country. I will now present the pie that was made in our house, a recipe learned from my great-grandmother.

The dough is essential and is prepared with care. The first step is to sift the flour on the workbench, forming a small volcano. In the hollow created, add the salt and a few tablespoons of warm water mixed with vinegar. It is important not to let the dough fall to one side, and with a fork, gradually incorporate the flour until it becomes easy to knead by hand. Knead the dough until it becomes elastic and no longer sticks to your hands, then let it rest for 30 minutes. The remaining flour on the countertop is sifted again and reserved.

While the dough rests, prepare the filling. Crumble the cheese with a fork and add yogurt or sour cream, depending on your preference. Add a tablespoon of sugar and mix until dissolved. Then, add the semolina in a rain, stirring continuously. If the filling is too thick, add a tablespoon or two of milk until it reaches a consistency similar to that of sour cream. Although some recipes contain eggs, in this variant, semolina is the ingredient that binds the filling and reduces the saltiness of the cheese.

To form the pies, spread an old tablecloth on the workbench that you only use for this preparation. Take a small ball of dough and sprinkle flour on the work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out a thin, almost round sheet of dough. The sheets should be very thin to achieve a fine texture. On a tray, "paint" the fat with a brush, then place the rolled-out sheet. Grease the sheet and the inside with fat, adding a heaping spoonful of filling in the middle. Start wrapping the pie, bringing the edges towards the center and pressing gently. Continue until you have brought all the edges to the center, forming a round pie.

This method of forming the pies helps to retain moisture and prevents the edges from drying out. Generously grease the pies on top with fat and place them in the baking tray. Repeat the process until you finish the dough and filling, resulting in about 15 pies. Brush them with beaten egg or just with yolk mixed with a tablespoon of milk for a golden crust. Bake the pies in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for about 40 minutes, using only the bottom heat and, if necessary, activate the top heat in the last 5 minutes for even browning. After removing them from the oven, cover the pies with a clean cloth and let them rest for 15 minutes. Then, enjoy these delicious Dobrogea pies, just as they were made in times long past!

 Tags:  eggs milk unt flour sour cream cheese sugar telemea vegetarian recipes pies