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Saleuri
Cheese pastry sticks
Romanian cheese pastry sticks with caraway and sesame
Set out on a platter at Romanian name-day parties, christenings and New Year's Eve, saleuri are the salty sticks people nibble with a glass of something before the sarmale arrive. The pastry is short and flaky from cold butter and sour cream, with grated cheese worked through it and more cheese, caraway and sesame pressed on top. Older village recipes were often made with lard; this version uses butter. They are best the day they are baked but keep crisp in a tin for three or four days, and they go well with a bowl of olives or a cold beer. The top is brushed with beaten egg; milk works instead if you want them egg-free on the outside. Chef's tip: cut the strips with a pizza wheel and leave them lying where they are on the tray, rather than lifting each one, so they stay straight; warm, overworked dough is the usual mistake, and it bakes up tough instead of flaky.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the dough
- 10 ½ oz plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 5 ½ oz cold buttercubed
- 5 ½ oz hard cheese (such as cașcaval or mature cheddar)finely grated; use a vegetarian cheese if you want them fully vegetarian
- 3 ½ oz sour cream
- 1 egg yolk
To top
- 1 eggbeaten, for brushing (or 2 tbsp milk for an egg-free glaze)
- 1 tsp caraway seeds
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- ½ tsp flaky sea salt (optional)
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt in a bowl. Rub in 5 ½ oz cold butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with a few pea-sized pieces left.
5 minStep 2: Stir in two-thirds of 3 ½ oz hard cheese (such as cașcaval or mature cheddar). Add 3 ½ oz sour cream and 1 egg yolk and bring it together with a fork, then your hands, into a soft dough; stop as soon as there is no dry flour.
Step 3: Flatten into a rectangle, wrap and chill for 15 minutes so the butter firms up again.
15 minStep 4: Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan) and line two baking trays with baking paper.
Step 5: Roll the dough on a floured surface into a rectangle about 5 mm thick, roughly 25 × 35 cm, and slide it onto one of the trays (cut it in two if it is too big).
Step 6: Brush with 1 egg, then scatter over 1 tsp caraway seeds, 1 tbsp sesame seeds, the rest of 1 ¾ oz hard cheese (such as cașcaval or mature cheddar) and ½ tsp flaky sea salt if using. Press the topping lightly so it sticks.
Step 7: Cut into strips about 1.5 cm wide and 10–12 cm long with a pizza wheel or sharp knife. Ease every other strip onto the second tray so they have space to puff.
Step 8: Bake for 15–18 minutes, swapping the trays halfway, until puffed and deep golden, with the cheese on top crisp and lightly browned.
18 minStep 9: Cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then on a rack. They crisp up fully as they cool. Keep in an airtight tin.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does saleuri take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 27 minutes to prepare and 18 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.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- 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 baking powder?
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar per 1 tsp.
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