This recipe was originally published in the award-winning cookbook Tava: Eastern European Baking and Desserts from Romania & Beyond by Irina Georgescu (Hardie Grant, 2022). Reprinted here with permission.
You can purchase Tava here [1]
Transylvanian Griddle Breads with Cheese and Honey (Plăcintă ardelească la tigaie cu urdă şi miere)
Ingredients:
- 180 g (6 ½ oz) curd cheese (romanian branza de vaci or set cottage cheese)
- 4 tablespoons sunflower oil, for cooking
- runny honey, for drizzling
For the dough:
- 300g (10 ½ oz / 2 ½ cups) plain (all purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
- 20 g (¾ oz / 2 tablespoons) golden caster (superfine) sugar
- 7 g (1 sachet) fast-action dried yeast
- 100ml (3 ½ fl oz / scant ½ 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 the 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 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.