Cretan Kalitsounia from Sitia

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 250 g wheat flour type 1050
• 12 g dry yeast
• 60 g milk
• 1 egg(s), size M
• 30 g sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 250 g soft cheese (Misithra)
• 1 medium egg yolk
• 15 g sugar
• 2 tbsp honey, light yellow
• 1 pinch of cinnamon powder
• 1 m.-sized egg white
• 3 tbsp water
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 medium egg yolk
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• e.g. sesame, white
• n. B. Pine nuts, raw
• n. B. flowers and leaves
• Margarine for the mold
• Flour for the work surface

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Rest time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 35 minutes

rectangular yeast dough parcels with sweet misithra filling

Dissolve the yeast, 1 tablespoon of flour, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and salt in lukewarm milk. Let the yeast milk rise in a warm place for 10 minutes. Then pour the mixture into a mixing bowl, add the egg, and mix well. Add the flour a tablespoon at a time and knead everything into a crumbly dough. Finally, add the olive oil and knead the dough until smooth and supple. Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for at least 30 minutes, until it has doubled in size. Mix the egg whites with the water and a pinch of salt. This mixture will be used to stick the dumplings together. Mix the misithra with all the remaining filling ingredients and set aside. Mix the egg yolk with the lemon juice. This mixture will be used to brush the kalitsounia. Knead the dough briefly, divide it into 3 portions, and roll them out into sheets of dough about 2 mm thick. Cut out circular discs about 10 cm in diameter (use a suitable glass or tin). Knead the leftover dough, roll it out again, and punch it out until all the dough is used up. Place a dough disc in front of you on the work surface, place a tablespoon of the filling in the center, and brush the edge of the dough disc with the egg white glue (see above). Fold the top and bottom sides of the dough disc over the filling, one after the other, and do the same with the left and right sides to form a rectangle and hide the filling. Continue in this way until all the dough discs or the filling are used up. Brush the raw Kalitsounia with the egg yolk and lemon juice mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds and pine nuts. Preheat the oven to 180°C (top/bottom heat). Place the Kalitsounia on a greased baking sheet. Place the Kalitsounia in the oven on a medium heat and bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown. Arrange the Kalitsounia on a serving platter, garnish, and serve warm. Note: If you can’t find Misithra cheese, you can substitute a mixture of 30% feta cheese and 70% curd cheese, blended until smooth. Recipe source: Mr. Olympios, Armonia Hotel, Crete.