Dobrogea pie

I have often made Dobrogea pie with store-bought pastry, especially when I have a mix of cheese that won't last long in the fridge. I like to use those large baking trays, even if it seems like a lot at first. Usually, I start with soft butter to grease the tray easily, and I make sure the pastry sheets don’t dry out while I work. I've never felt the need for extra ingredients or complicated decorations for this recipe.

Quick Info

Total time: about 45-50 minutes
Preparation time: 20-25 minutes
Baking time: 20-25 minutes
Servings: 6-8
Difficulty: easy
Recipe type: classic savory pie, great for lunch, snack, or takeout

Ingredients

6 sheets of pastry
250 g salty cheese (like telemea or another hard salty cheese)
500 g sweet cheese (like cottage cheese)
6 eggs
250 ml milk
100 g butter (melted, for greasing the tray and the sheets)
4-5 tablespoons oil

Instructions

1. Start with the tray: generously grease the large baking tray with butter. Don’t be stingy with the butter; it will make a difference in the end.
2. Prepare the filling: grate the salty cheese using a coarse grater. Mix the salty cheese with the sweet cheese in a large bowl, then add 3 eggs. Combine well. The filling will be quite dense, not liquid.
3. Melt the remaining butter and keep it nearby, along with the oil.
4. Take the first sheet of pastry and lay it on the work surface. Brush the entire surface with melted butter, then with a little oil (it’s easiest with a brush). If you're working with thin sheets, you can stack 2 sheets for a roll.
5. Place some of the cheese filling along one of the short edges (at the end). Don’t overload it so you can roll it tightly.
6. Carefully roll the sheet tightly so that the filling doesn’t spill out the edges. Place the roll in the tray directly on the butter.
7. Continue in the same manner with all the sheets and filling until you finish everything. Place the rolls next to each other; there's no need to leave large gaps between them.
8. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
9. Put the tray in the oven for 15 minutes. The pie should start to puff up slightly and develop a thin crust.
10. In the meantime, beat the remaining 3 eggs with 250 ml of milk.
11. After 15 minutes, take the tray out of the oven and evenly pour the egg and milk mixture over the rolls. Return the tray to the oven and bake until the pie is golden brown, about another 10-15 minutes. The surface should be golden, and the egg should be set well.
12. Let the pie rest for a few minutes before cutting.

Why I Make This Recipe Often

It’s one of the most practical savory pies. The ingredients are easily found, it doesn’t require much effort, and the taste is balanced. It’s good both warm and at room temperature, making it perfect for takeout or a quick meal. It can also be made in advance.

Tips and Variations

Tips

- Don’t forget to cover the pastry sheets with a damp towel while you work to prevent them from drying out.
- If you want crispy edges, brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter before the first baking.
- If you think there’s too much cheese, you can adjust the quantity, but be careful with the salty-sweet ratio.

Substitutions

- The salty cheese can be replaced with feta or firmer cheese if you don’t have telemea.
- The sweet cottage cheese can be substituted with ricotta if you can’t find anything else, but the texture and taste will change slightly.
- Butter can be partially replaced with oil, but the taste will be different; I don’t recommend eliminating butter completely.

Variations

- If you prefer a richer pie, you can add chopped fresh dill to the filling.
- For a lighter texture, beat the eggs separately before incorporating them into the cheese mixture.
- You can also bake the rolls in a spiral shape if you like that appearance.

Serving Ideas

- It’s great on its own, cut into cubes, as a snack.
- It also pairs well with cold yogurt or kefir.
- It can be served for breakfast or on an appetizer platter.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I use frozen pastry sheets?
Yes, but they need to be completely thawed and kept covered to prevent tearing or drying out while working.

2. Can I make the pie with only salty cheese?
Yes, but the pie will turn out saltier and denser. The mix with sweet cheese helps with texture and balance.

3. What if my sheet tears while rolling?
No problem, just place the torn end under the roll in the tray. The pie will hold together while baking and won’t fall apart.

4. Can I use a different type of tray, not a baking tray?
You can use any tray that allows you to place the rolls in a single layer, but you’ll need to adjust the number of rolls or cut them if they don’t fit.

5. How do I know when the pie is baked?
The surface should be golden and slightly firm to the touch, and the egg in the poured mixture should be fully set.

Nutritional Values

Approximately, one serving of pie (out of 8 servings) has about 330-350 kcal, with 16-18 g of fat, 20-22 g of protein, and 25-27 g of carbohydrates. Values may vary depending on the type of cheese used and how much oil/butter ends up in the final product. It contains no added sugar.

Storage and Reheating

The pie keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days, covered. It can be quickly reheated in the oven or in a dry skillet to regain its crust. In the microwave, it becomes softer but is still tasty. I do not recommend freezing – the sheets become brittle after thawing. After a day, the texture is slightly different, but the pie remains good.