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Soparnik
Soparnik: thin Swiss chard pie from Poljica in Dalmatia, Croatia, brushed with garlic and olive oil
Between Split and Omiš, in the stony villages of Poljica in Dalmatia, women once baked soparnik on the open hearth, sliding a huge round of thin dough under hot embers and ash. Its filling is nothing but raw Swiss chard, onion and parsley with olive oil, and the finished pie is brushed with garlic and more oil while it is still steaming. It is crisp at the edges, soft and green inside, and was traditionally eaten on fasting days such as Good Friday and Christmas Eve, cut into diamonds and served lukewarm with a glass of water or a plate of olives. A common mistake is salting the chard too early: it weeps water and the bottom turns soggy, so salt only as you spread it. Chef's tip: heat a large baking tray or pizza stone in the hottest possible oven so the base cooks fast, as it would on the hearthstone.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb plain flourplus extra for rolling
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water
For the filling
- 1 ¾ lb Swiss chard leavesstalks removed, washed and well dried
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 1 oz flat-leaf parsleyfinely chopped
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
To finish
- 4 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb plain flour, 1 tsp salt, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water into a soft dough and knead for 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
35 minStep 2: Heat the oven to its highest setting, 475°F if possible, with a large flat baking tray or pizza stone inside.
1 minStep 3: Roll the 1 ¾ lb Swiss chard leaves leaves up tightly and slice them very thinly, then mix in a bowl with 1 onion, 1 oz flat-leaf parsley and 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Do not salt yet.
10 minStep 4: Divide the dough in two. Roll each half on a floured surface into a very thin round about 40 cm across, so thin you can almost see the board through it.
10 minStep 5: Lay one round on a sheet of floured baking paper. Spread the chard over it, leaving a 2 cm rim, then sprinkle evenly with 1 tsp salt.
3 minStep 6: Cover with the second round, press the edges together and roll them inwards to seal. Prick the top all over with a fork.
3 minStep 7: Slide the pie on its paper onto the hot tray and bake for 20–25 minutes, until the top is dry, crisp and spotted golden and the chard has wilted down.
23 minStep 8: Meanwhile, stir 4 cloves garlic into 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.
1 minStep 9: Brush the hot pie all over with the garlic oil, then leave for 10 minutes before cutting into diamonds. Serve lukewarm.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 44 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does soparnik take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 50 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- 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 onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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