Cretan Kallitsounia with Misithra and Melon from Sitia

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 150 g wheat flour type 405
• 30 g corn flour, yellow
• 3 g beef broth powder
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 75 g water, lukewarm
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• n. B. Flour for the work surface
• 200 g fresh cheese, Greek (Misithra)
• 100 g honeydew melon(s), including the pulp
• 1 medium egg yolk
• 1 tbsp honey, dark
• 20 g sugar
• 1 pinch(s) cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp powder (mint powder)
• 1 pinch(s) cardamom powder
• 1 tsp, leveled salt
• 3 tbsp water
• 1 egg white
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 medium egg yolk
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• n. B. almond sticks
• e.g. sesame, white
• e.g. pine nuts
• n. B. Honey
• n. B. flowers and leaves

Instructions

Working time approx. 50 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 15 minutes

Rectangular yeast dough parcels with sweet misithra honeydew melon filling, makes approx. 14 parcels

A typical autumn dish on Crete, a favorite not only with children. Mix wheat flour with yellow corn flour, beef broth powder, and sugar. Stir in the warm water while stirring continuously and knead until a crumbly dough forms. Now knead in the olive oil. Depending on the flour’s ability to swell, add 1-2 tablespoons of water until a smooth, pliable dough forms. Knead for at least 12 minutes to ensure sufficient gluten is activated. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. In the meantime, crack an egg, separate the yolk and egg white. Mix the egg white with the water and a pinch of salt. This mixture will glue the pastries together. For the filling, mix the misithra first with the egg yolk, then with all the remaining ingredients and set aside. Crack another egg, separate the yolk and egg white. Reserve the egg white for another purpose, and mix the yolk with the lemon juice. This mixture will be used to brush the kallitsounia. Briefly knead the dough, divide it into 3 portions, and roll them out into approximately 1 mm thick sheets. Cut out circular discs approximately 10 cm in diameter (use a suitable glass or tin). Knead the leftover dough, roll it out again, and cut it out again until all the dough is used up. Using the above ingredients, I got 14 kallitsounia and a small leftover dough. Roll the circular dough flatbreads out slightly oval to make filling easier. Place a dough disc horizontally 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. 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 manner until all the dough discs or filling are used up. Brush the raw kallitsounia 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 kallitsounia on a greased baking sheet. Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown. Arrange on a serving platter, garnish, and serve warm. Note: If you can’t find Misithra cream cheese, you can substitute a mixture of 30% feta cheese and 70% quark, blended until smooth. You may find this cheese at a cheese shop or online. Recipe source: Mr. Olympios, Armonia Hotel, Crete.