Balkan Cheese Pies (Placinte cu Branza)

These Balkan Cheese Pies are known as ‘Placinte cu Branza’ in Romania. These pies feature an exquisitely thin dough that encases a sweet and savoury filling of baker’s cheese, creating a delightful balance of textures and flavours. They are made with a simple and cheap-to-make dough that’s rolled thinly using a tea towel technique. This is a traditional way of making thin dough for pies in some Eastern European and Balkan cuisines. This technique, often used for making dishes like burek or strudel as well, involves stretching the dough to an extremely thin and almost transparent consistency.

In this recipe, I’m filling the pies with baker’s cheese. Baker’s cheese, also known as farmer’s cheese or quark, is a fresh cheese that is usually made from cow’s milk. It’s a soft, unripened cheese with a mild flavour and a crumbly texture. It’s often used in various recipes, including pastries, desserts, and savoury dishes due to its versatility.

However, other fillings can be used as well. My mom is an expert at making pies with this thinly rolled dough but generously filled with grated apples mixed with a bit of sugar and cinnamon or grated pumpkin mixed with a bit of sugar.

Ingredients

For the Dough:

200 ml (3/4 cup + 1.5 Tbsp) lukewarm water
200 ml (3/4 cup + 1.5 Tbsp) lukewarm milk (if preferred, you can substitute this with water)
650 g all-purpose flour (5.5 cups), plus 2-3 Tbsp extra for dusting your work surface while kneading the dough
1 tsp instant dry yeast
1 tsp salt
vegetable oil or sunflower oil for spreading on the dough while you roll and stretch it

For the Cheese Filling:

1 kg (2.2 lbs) baker’s cheese / cow’s cheese
3 eggs
100 g (~ 1/2 cup or 7 Tbsp) sugar

For Brushing and Baking:

1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp milk

Optional: Powdered sugar for dusting.

Directions

Prepare the Dough

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Make a well in the centre.

Pour the lukewarm water and lukewarm milk in the centre. Add the dry yeast. Stir until a dough forms.

Knead the dough for about 5-7 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.

Shape the dough into a ball and add it into a bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rest in a warm place for about 30 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Make a well in the centre.

Pour the lukewarm water and lukewarm milk in the centre. Add the dry yeast. Stir until a dough forms.

Knead the dough for about 5-7 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. Shape the dough into a ball.

Make the Cheese Filling

In a separate mixing bowl, combine the baker’s cheese, eggs, and sugar. Mix until thoroughly combined. Set the filling aside.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine the baker's cheese, eggs, and sugar.

Oiling the Dough and Stretching

Once the dough has risen divide it into six equal pieces.

Take a piece of dough and set the rest of them aside, covering them with a kitchen towel so that they don’t dry out.

Spread a bit of vegetable oil on the piece of dough you’re working with. Then, begin pressing and stretching the dough a bit with your hands. You can also use a rolling pin to roll it out a bit.

Brush the rolled dough with more vegetable oil on both sides. Lightly brushing or spreading a small amount of oil over the rolled-out dough helps in preventing it from sticking and makes it easier to stretch.

Then, carefully transfer the oiled dough onto a clean, smooth kitchen towel or cloth. This helps in stretching the dough without it tearing and also makes it easier to handle.

With the dough on the towel, gently pull and stretch the edges from all sides. Continue this process until the dough becomes thin enough to almost see through without tearing. The cloth helps to support the dough during this process.

Spread a bit of vegetable oil on the piece of dough you’re working with. Then, begin pressing and stretching the dough a bit with your hands. You can also use a rolling pin to roll it out a bit.

Then, carefully transfer the oiled dough onto a clean, smooth kitchen towel or cloth. This helps in stretching the dough without it tearing and also makes it easier to handle. With the dough on the towel, gently pull and stretch the edges from all sides. Continue this process until the dough becomes thin enough to almost see through without tearing. The cloth helps to support the dough during this process.

Remember, while this technique can create incredibly thin and delicate dough, it might take a bit of practice to master the stretching process without tearing the dough. Using a clean tea towel is important, as it provides the necessary support and helps to prevent the dough from sticking during stretching.

Add the Filling and Roll

Divide the filling into six equal portions so that you have enough for the six cheese pies.

Once the dough is stretched thinly, spread a layer of the prepared cheese filling evenly over the surface.

Using the kitchen towel, carefully roll the dough into a log enclosing the cheese filling within. Then, roll this log into a spiral.

Then, roll this log into a spiral to form the small cheese pies.

Repeat the same process to fill the other five cheese pies as well.

Brush and Bake the Balkan Cheese Pies

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

Transfer the rolled cheese pies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Mix the beaten egg with a tablespoon of milk and brush the top of the pies.

Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes or until the pies are golden brown and cooked through. Remove them from the oven and cover them with a clean tea towel for 15-20 minutes.