Transylvanian Griddle Breads with Cheese and Honey (Plăcintă la tigaie)
Author, Tava: Eastern European Baking and Desserts from Romania & Beyond
"These flatbread-style pies come in many variations throughout Romania and each of them is considered to be key to the cultural identity of the region you eat them in. They are called plăcinte, turte, scovergi, pite or lipii, and can be fried or grilled. There is a tradition in Ardeal, another name for Transylvania, to cook the pies on a lespede, which is a baking stone. A typical sweet filling can be either curd cheese or jam, drizzled with honey or dusted with icing (confectioner’s) sugar. I read that in old times these pies were so important that even a young lady’s dowry would include one of them. I have chosen to make a recipe with curd cheese, since it is easier to fold and cook, and irresistible when served with honey."
—Irina Georgescu
Ingredients
Makes 6 small flatbreads
180 g (61⁄2 oz) curd cheese (Romanian brânză de vaci, ricotta or set cottage cheese)
4 tablespoons sunflower oil, for cooking
Runny honey, for drizzling
For the dough
300 g (101⁄2 oz/21⁄2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
20 g (3⁄4 oz/2 tablespoons) golden caster (superfine) sugar
7 g (1 sachet) fast-action dried yeast
100 ml (31⁄2 fl oz/scant 1⁄2 cup) water
5 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons sunflower oil 1 pinch of salt
Method
If you are using cottage cheese for the filling, drain it of any excess water beforehand.
Make the dough by combining all the ingredients together in a bowl, then knead until soft and silky. Cover and leave to rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
Set a cast-iron or non-stick frying pan (skillet) over a medium–high heat.
Flour your work surface and hands generously, then divide the dough into 6 equal parts. Roll one piece out to a circle, 25–30 cm (10–12 in) in diameter. Crumble (or spread) a sixth of the cheese on top. Bring the sides to the middle in 7 or 8 folds, overlapping them slightly, then press with your hands or gently use a rolling pin to flatten and seal them. Repeat until you have 6 filled breads ready to be cooked.
Oil the hot pan with about 1 tablespoon of oil. Cook each pie on both sides for a few minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and cover with a beeswax wrap or a reusable plastic bag (the steam will keep them soft) while you cook the rest.
Serve warm, drizzled with honey.
Reprinted from Tava: Eastern European Baking and Desserts from Romania & Beyond by Irina Georgescu. Published by Hardie Grant. All rights reserved.
Yield
6 small flatbreads
