Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

When looking at this delicious temptation, noone can resist. You can have it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and at any other time, because the crispy cheese crumbs and the meted yellow cheese drive you to this culinary sin.

I learned the recipe while ago from the mother of a very good friend of mine – Gina Angelova from the village of Klisura, Samokov region, who apart from this version of banitsa also taught me many other things from Samokov and Dupnitsa region that I will show you in the future. It will take a little patience to see them, because it is impossible to prepare everything at once.

 

AnnieAuthorAnnieCategoryDifficultyIntermediate

INGREDIENTS:

For the dough
 2 packages dry yeast (or 1 cube of 40 g fresh one)
 500 ml milk
 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
 1 tbsp. vinegar (white one, for example apple vinegar, not wine vinegar)
 1 tsp. sugar
 1 tsp. salt
 800 g flour (approximately, you could need more)
For the filling
 3 eggs (separate 1 yolk for brushing)
 150 g cheese
 150 g yellow cheese

Prep Time10 minsCook Time2 hrsTotal Time2 hrs 10 mins

 

DIRECTIONS:

1

Warm the milk to body temperature. Separate about half of it and put in a bowl. Add sugar, yeast and 2 tablespoons of flour and stir.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

2

Let the mixture rise well for about 10 minutes.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

3

Add the rest of the milk and the oil.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

4

Add the vinegar.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

5

Add the salt.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

6

Start mixing the dough by adding flour. I used a kitchen robot with a dough mixer attachment and added 1 by 1 the pre-sifted flour to the mixture. But this procedure can easily be done by hand.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

7

Stop adding flour when a medium soft dough is obtained.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

8

Cover the dough with a cloth and let it double its volume. It usually takes at least 40 minutes, up to about 1 hour, depending on the room temperature.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

9

Take the dough out of the bowl and divide it into 3 approximately equal balls.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

10

Start preparing the filling mixture. Break the eggs and separate one egg yolk for brushing the pastry. Crumble the cheese, shred the yellow cheese and stir. If you want add dried spices such as savory, oregano, etc.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

11

Roll each ball in a rectangle form and smear a thin layer of the cheese mixture. Put the layers one on top of the other.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

12

Make a roll up and start twisting it by pulling the roll. It should get thinner and at least 2-3 times longer.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

13

You should obtain a twisted roll of approximately the same thickness along the whole length so that it can be roasted evenly.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

14

Grease the pan and put the roll into it.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

15

Leave the dough for another 20 minutes until it fills the baking pan. Dilute the separated egg yolk with 1 tbsp. of water and 1 tbsp. of oil. Apply it with a brush on a thin layer on top of the pastry.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

16

Bake for about 20 minutes in a preheated oven at about 190 degrees.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

17

Served with aryan, boza or anything else you enjoy.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

 

If I can do it, so can you!
Bon appetit!

 

Ingredients

For the dough
 2 packages dry yeast (or 1 cube of 40 g fresh one)
 500 ml milk
 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
 1 tbsp. vinegar (white one, for example apple vinegar, not wine vinegar)
 1 tsp. sugar
 1 tsp. salt
 800 g flour (approximately, you could need more)
For the filling
 3 eggs (separate 1 yolk for brushing)
 150 g cheese
 150 g yellow cheese

Directions

1

Warm the milk to body temperature. Separate about half of it and put in a bowl. Add sugar, yeast and 2 tablespoons of flour and stir.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

2

Let the mixture rise well for about 10 minutes.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

3

Add the rest of the milk and the oil.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

4

Add the vinegar.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

5

Add the salt.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

6

Start mixing the dough by adding flour. I used a kitchen robot with a dough mixer attachment and added 1 by 1 the pre-sifted flour to the mixture. But this procedure can easily be done by hand.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

7

Stop adding flour when a medium soft dough is obtained.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

8

Cover the dough with a cloth and let it double its volume. It usually takes at least 40 minutes, up to about 1 hour, depending on the room temperature.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

9

Take the dough out of the bowl and divide it into 3 approximately equal balls.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

10

Start preparing the filling mixture. Break the eggs and separate one egg yolk for brushing the pastry. Crumble the cheese, shred the yellow cheese and stir. If you want add dried spices such as savory, oregano, etc.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

11

Roll each ball in a rectangle form and smear a thin layer of the cheese mixture. Put the layers one on top of the other.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

12

Make a roll up and start twisting it by pulling the roll. It should get thinner and at least 2-3 times longer.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

13

You should obtain a twisted roll of approximately the same thickness along the whole length so that it can be roasted evenly.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

14

Grease the pan and put the roll into it.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

15

Leave the dough for another 20 minutes until it fills the baking pan. Dilute the separated egg yolk with 1 tbsp. of water and 1 tbsp. of oil. Apply it with a brush on a thin layer on top of the pastry.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

16

Bake for about 20 minutes in a preheated oven at about 190 degrees.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

17

Served with aryan, boza or anything else you enjoy.

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa)

Twisted cheese pie (banitsa) – recipe
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