Today, I will try to explain making pastry for 'pita', that is still home made in many Eastern European countries. This technique is mostly used in Bosnia, although other countries (Greece, Serbia, Turkey,...) have very similar techniques.
Pita with minced meat and sauteed onions is called Burek in Bosnia.
For a simplified method of making pita (for beginners) click here.
Ingredients:
Pastry-
2 cups plain flour
200 ml(+,-)water
1/2 teas salt
Cheese-spinach filling-
500g ricotta
1 egg
1 teas salt
250 g spinach (blanched, frozen)
Other ingredients-
Oil, in a cup (cca 100ml)
Flour for dusting
Also needed -
tablecloth big enough to cover the entire table, rolling pin.
Method:
Make a soft dough from flour, salt and water. Dust with flour and let it rest for at least 25 min.
Prepare the filling by combining cheese, spinach, egg and salt (I always add a tbs of lemon juice, as I find European cheese is more sour, that ricotta I usually by in Australia.)
Prepare the working surface by dusting the tablecloth with flour.
Place the dough on the table, dust with flour and start rolling out until 55-60 cm diameter. Dust with flour all the time, this will prevent sticking.
When you've achieved wanted size, spoon 3 tbs of oil around the dough, and spread with your fingers.
Now slowly and gently pull the pastry from the centre to the edge (Back of your hand is better to use - go around the dough. Round tables are perfect for this!)
Dot the fillings around edges, turn dough from outside edge to cover the filling.
With a spoon add some extra oil around the edges, and centre of pastry.
Start rolling the pastry towards centre, pulling gently at the same time towards your self - this will additionally stretch your pastry, ensuring thin, crisp appearance.
Cut the pastry in the middle and continue to roll inwards, until all is rolled up.
You will get a circle of made pastry/pita, which you need to cut and start rolling into a spiral form.
Oil the top of pita - spray is fine, and bake for 25-30 min.
Bosanska pita
Za jednostavniji metod (maslenica ) mozete pogledati ovdje.
Potrebno:
Tijesto-
2 solje (250 ml) brasna (250 +gr)
1/2 kasicice soli
200 ml + vode
Filovanje-
500 gr sira
1 kasicica soli
1 jaje
250 gr spinata (blansiran ili smrznut)
Jos potrebno-
ulje, oko 1 dl
brasno za posipanje
Nacin:
Umijesite mekano, glatko tijesto, pobrasnite i ostavite odmarati najmanje 25 min.
Ukljucite rernu na 190*C, nauljite tepsiju u kojoj cete peci.
Pobrasnite solnjak na kojem cete razvlaciti jufke.
Odmoreno tijesto razvucite na cca 55-60 cm precnika.
Pospite 3 kasike ulja po povrsini - prstima razmazite, pa rukama pocnite razvlaciti od sredine prema krajeviam.
Rasporedite filovanje po ivici tijesta; prebacite kraj jufke prema sredini, pa pocnite 'rolati' prema sredini, razvlaceci blago prema sebi.
Pospite sa jos ulja.
Razrezite jufku po sredi, zavrsite 'rolanje'.
Napravite spiralu - ili bilo koji oblik, nauljite povrsinu - pecite 25-30 min.
