Ruth's Pontiaka Pisia
Ruth's Pontiaka Pisia
I think I have died and gone to foodie heaven with Ruth’s Pontiaka Pisia – Pontian Filled Flatbreads by @greekfoodphotography.
A forgiving dough that comes together easily, filled with feta, EVOO and oregano, fried and then drizzled with honey and dusted with cinnamon!!!
If you roll them out large, they fry up thinner and crispier. If you roll them out smaller and thicker, they fry up softer and fluffier. Try them both ways and then decide how you prefer them!
This recipe is in Ruth’s Award-Winning cookbook Hellenic Kanella – available through Ruth @greekfoodphotography or @grecianpurveyor!
A delicious flatbread filled with feta, EVOO and oregano, fried and then drizzled with honey and dusted with cinnamon!
Ingredients
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp instant yeast
• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided, plus more for shallow frying
• 1½ tsp salt
• 2 cups lukewarm water (this is approximate-depending on your flour, you may need a little more or less)
• 375 g feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 tsp dried oregano
Instructions
Preparing the pisia dough and filling
o Mix together the flour, yeast, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and salt
o Slowly add the water, mixing the ingredients together with a wooden spoon or your hand to make the dough – it must not be too sticky or too dry
o When the dough has come together, move the dough to a lightly floured board or bench and knead it well for approximately 8 minutes – the dough should be soft and smooth
o Cover it and allow it to rest for 20 minutes
o Combine the cheese, the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and the oregano in a small bowl and set aside
Preparing the pontiaka pisia
o Divide the dough into 14 pieces – approximately 60g each and set aside on your bench covered with a damp towel·
o Take a piece of dough and roll it into a ball using your palms or using a circular motion on your bench·
o Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough ball into a circular disc – until approximately 10cm in diameter
o Take 25-30g of the cheese filling and place it in the centre of the dough disc
o Bring the sides of dough disc together to enclose the cheese filling
o Flatten the pisia with your palms, and then, on a floured bench, gently roll out with a rolling pin, until about10-15cm in width – smaller pisia will be softer and fluffier; larger pisia will be thinner and crispier
o Heat 3-4 tablespoons of EVOO in a small fry-pan on medium-high heat
o Add one flatbread at a time, cooking it until golden brown on both sides – it should take no more than 2-3 minutes on each side
o Repeat this process until all the flatbreads are cooked.
Serving the pontiaka pisia
o Drizzle with honey and dust with cinnamon and enjoy warm!
Kali Orexi!
