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Învârtită
Rolled sweet cheese pastry
Învârtită: Moldavian rolled stretched-dough pastry with sweet cottage cheese and raisins
RomanianSunday visits in the villages around Iași and Suceava rarely happen without a tray of învârtită, the coiled pastry whose name simply means 'twisted'. A soft dough is pulled over a floured tablecloth until it is as fine as paper, brushed with butter, covered in sweet cottage cheese with raisins and lemon zest, rolled up and wound into a snail before baking. Fresh from the oven it is crackly at the edges and moist in the middle; it is cut into wedges and eaten with coffee or a glass of milk. Families also fill it with sour cherries in June or grated pumpkin in autumn. Cottage cheese is usually made without animal rennet, but check the label if you keep strictly vegetarian. Lots of bakers stretch the dough too soon after mixing, and it tears into holes; give it the full rest. Chef's tip: drain the cottage cheese in a sieve for 20 minutes first, so the filling stays creamy and does not run out of the seams.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the dough
- 10 ½ oz plain flourplus extra for the cloth
- 1 pinch salt
- ¾ cup lukewarm water
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
For the filling
- 1 ⅔ lb cottage cheese or brânză de vacidrained in a sieve
- 2 eggs
- 4 oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla sugar or extract
- 1 unwaxed lemonzest only
- 2 tbsp fine semolina
- 2 ⅞ oz raisinssoaked in warm water for 10 minutes and drained
To assemble
- 2 ⅞ oz unsalted buttermelted
- 2 tbsp icing sugar (optional)for dusting
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Mix the 10 ½ oz plain flour and 1 pinch salt, add the ¾ cup lukewarm water, 3 tbsp sunflower oil and 1 tsp white wine vinegar and knead for 10 minutes, slapping the dough on the worktop now and then, until it is silky and elastic.
10 minStep 2: Shape it into a ball, brush with a little oil, cover with a warm bowl and rest for 40 minutes, until it feels soft and relaxed.
40 minStep 3: Meanwhile mash the drained 1 ⅔ lb cottage cheese or brânză de vaci with the 2 eggs, 4 oz caster sugar, 1 tsp vanilla sugar or extract, the zest of the 1 unwaxed lemon and the 2 tbsp fine semolina, then fold in the 2 ⅞ oz raisins.
5 minStep 4: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and line a round 26 cm tin or a baking tray with baking paper.
2 minStep 5: Spread a clean cloth over the table and dust it with flour. Roll the dough out as far as it will go, then slip the backs of your hands under it and pull it outwards gently, working round the table, until it is about 80 × 60 cm and thin enough to read through. Trim off the thick edge.
12 minStep 6: Drizzle about two thirds of the 2 oz unsalted butter over the sheet and spread it lightly with a pastry brush. Spoon the filling in a line along one long side.
3 minStep 7: Lift the cloth so the dough rolls over the filling into a long, loose sausage. Coil it into a snail in the tin, seam side down, and brush with the rest of the ⅞ oz unsalted butter.
4 minStep 8: Bake for 40–45 minutes, until deep golden, crisp on top and the filling feels set when you press the centre.
45 minStep 9: Cool in the tin for 20 minutes, dust with 2 tbsp icing sugar if you like and cut into wedges. Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 39 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does învârtită take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 75 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of white wine vinegar?
- Cider vinegar or rice vinegar, same amount.
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