Cheese Filled Açma Recipe
I don't think I've shared a proper pastry recipe in quite a while. I don't eat gluten-containing products myself, and my husband has also cut back quite a bit on pastries lately. As a result, how often I make pastries has become directly tied to how often we have guests over. But our friends and family aren't all that different from us either. Many people either have various dietary restrictions because of health issues or simply try to eat healthily. Even though I know this, I'm not the kind of person who would insist on making pastries for them to eat.
But recently, a miracle happened: we had a guest who was still young enough to have the kind of robust health where nothing seemed to bother them no matter what they ate. So I took the opportunity to make a beautiful cheese filled açma just for them.
As a matter of fact, thankfully, my blog is comprehensive enough that you wouldn't really notice the absence of this particular recipe. Over the years, I've had an açma recipe that can meet pretty much every need, from classic classic açma to olive filled açma, and it can easily be adapted to suit different tastes with different fillings. Still, I wanted anyone searching for “cheese-filled açma” to actually find a cheese-filled açma recipe rather than having to look at a regular açma recipe and struggle with the question, “Okay, but how much cheese am I supposed to put in this?”
For the filling, I used a combination of ekşimik and kaşar cheese because I had some cheeses at home that I needed to use up. I'm specifically mentioning this so you don't go looking for a scientific explanation behind the combination. Sometimes people tend to interpret these very simple and ordinary decisions I make as if they were strict rules that must be followed.
Yes, I'm quite familiar with food chemistry, but sometimes I also have things in my refrigerator that need to be used before they go bad. So, in short, you don't have to use the exact cheeses I used for the filling. You can use any cheese you like, as long as you have about 2 cups in total. However, if you happen to have homemade ekşimik or lor cheese, you'll get an even better result.
The cheese you should avoid using in pastries unless absolutely necessary is full-fat white cheese. The fat in these cheeses separates and runs out during baking. This can cause the pastries to bake in a pool of oil, while leaving behind only the firm, elastic solids of the cheese inside. As a result, although the texture may not be particularly bothersome while the pastries are hot, they become quite unpleasant once they cool down and take on a texture that makes them seem much staler than they actually are.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 cups lukewarm milk,
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil,
- 15 g instant yeast,
- 2 tablespoons sugar,
- 2 teaspoons salt,
- 5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour,
- 120 g softened butter.
For the filling:
- 1 cup ekşimik or lor cheese,
- 1 cup grated kaşar cheese,
- A handful of fresh parsley.
For the topping:
- 1 egg yolk,
- 1 tablespoon milk,
- 1 teaspoon sugar,
- Sesame seeds.
Preparation
- Mix the milk, sugar, and yeast in a bowl,
- Add the oil and mix,
- Start adding the flour gradually and mix,
- Add the salt when you have added about half of the flour,
- Gradually add the remaining flour and knead until you have a soft dough that doesn't stick to your hands,
- Cover the dough and let it rest for 45 to 60 minutes,
- Knead the dough again, then tear off pieces slightly smaller than a tangerine. Cover them and let them rest for 10 minutes,
- To prepare the filling, mix all the ingredients in a bowl,
- Take one piece of dough and press it out with your hands until it is about the size of a dessert plate,
- Spread about 1 teaspoon of butter over the surface,
- Fold the two sides toward the center, forming a roughly elongated rectangle,
- Spread some more butter over the folded surface,
- Place some of the cheese filling lengthwise down the center and roll the dough up,
- Tie the roll into a knot and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper,
- Shape the remaining pieces in the same way,
- Cover them and let them rest for 30 to 45 minutes,
- Mix the egg yolk, milk, and sugar in a bowl and brush it over the risen pastries,
- Sprinkle sesame seeds on top,
- Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C until golden brown.
Enjoy!