Ossetian Pies By Olia Hercules

Ingredients

• The dough (Makes 2 pies):
  • 150ml warm milk or water
  • 100ml kefir or yoghurt
  • 7g fast-action dry yeast
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 10g sea salt
  • 400g flour
  • 20g polenta or semolina (for dusting)
• The filling:
  • 4 small cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
  • 200g cooked potatoes, skin on
  • 200g of smoked cheese, like Provolone or any cheese you love (Gouda, feta, halloumi, Cheddar)
  • 4 spring onions, green and white parts, thinly sliced (60g)
  • 20g dill, finely chopped
  • 20g chives, chopped

Preparation

This recipe is inspired by Ossetian pies. Ossetians are highlanders just north of Georgia. These pies are probably as old as the hills because traditionally three are served and each signifies a different element – earth, water, and fire. I fell in love with their story, and with their outstanding flavor. They are normally brushed with melted butter as they come out of the oven, but I love to go one step further and smother them in beurre noisette. Try it, it will be the best thing you will eat this spring.

First, make the dough. It will be quite wet to begin with, but please don’t panic – it is meant to be, I will guide you through it all. Add the yeast and honey to the warm milk and if you have a moment, let it rest for 5-10 minutes; you want to make sure the yeast activates and starts frothing. Then add the salt and the kefir or yogurt and gradually add 300g of the flour. Stir the flour in with a fork or spatula, incorporating it into the liquid. It will look like thick cake batter, don’t worry if it looks a bit rough, it will sort itself out as it rises. Cover with cling film and leave somewhere warm to prove for 1-2 hours.

For the filling, crush the cooked potatoes roughly or cut into smallish cubes. Mix with the rest of the ingredients and add some sea salt and pepper. Mind how much salt it needs, depending on how salty the cheese is. Have a flat tray, covered with baking parchment, and half the polenta sprinkled over it, as well as a clean, damp kitchen cloth.

Now it’s time to fire up your outdoor oven to around 250°C (482°F). When the dough has risen, flour your work surface and hands heavily with flour. Scrape the dough onto the floured surface. Now keep folding the dough over itself gently, sprinkling a little flour over it as you go. You want it to stop sticking but to remain feather-light. When the dough stops sticking, flatten it gently with the palm of your hand. Make sure there is plenty of flour under it and then dust a little more on top. With a rolling pin, gently roll the dough out into a 30 cm circle.

Now grab your filling and take half of it and put it in the center of the rolled-out dough. Now for the fun folding bit, take one edge of the circle and fold it into the middle, now bring the edge of the first fold into the middle and fold again. Repeat until you have created about six folds. It should resemble a flattened money bag! Flatten it further with the palms of your hands, gently pushing the filling into the edges of the dough. You should end up with a 20-25 cm flatbread. Do not worry if you get some rips; you need to let some air out during baking anyway! If your flatbread has no rips, flour the top gently and carefully flip it over onto your prepped tray. Sprinkle a little more polenta over the top and make a little hole in the middle to let the steam out. Cover the breads with a damp towel and prove again for 15 to 30 minutes if you are (by now!) in a hurry. But I have lost track of time once and they were absolutely fine after an hour proving too.

Have a look at your fire and check if the temperature is still right; if not, you can add some extra (small) logs of wood. Put the flatbreads into the oven and check after 8 minutes. If they are not deep golden yet, give them another 2-3 minutes. As soon as they come out of the oven, brush them generously with the brown (or regular) melted butter and slice and serve either as lunch with a simple leaf salad or as a starter, or with a tasty spring broth or nettle soup. Enjoy!

By Olia Hercules