This post comes courtesy of one of my mom’s best friends from college who now lives in Australia! So a post from far away, but thus is the joy of the internet. And she seems like a born food blogger since she sent us step-by-step pictures so, thank you, Ira, whom I have actually never met as we’ve never lived in the same country:)!
Okay, the backstory here is that Ira is a very accomplished baker and I have attempted one of her emailed, cross-continental recipes before. The problem was that as all accomplished bakers, she knows exactly what she’s doing and hence the measurements were all fairly non-specific. I failed at some point in my cabbage pie dough-making steps and mixed too much of something too soon and my dough became way too sticky. A lesson in following directions more carefully.
But not to worry – in this recipe, we have pictures of all the approximate measures! Thank you, Ira!
The main components of the pie are:
a sour cream-based dough (it still uses some butter)
and a filling of ricotta (or any kind of soft ‘neutral’ cheese), 1 egg, and a bit of flour
Sidenote: For a sweet filling option, I would also add sugar, lemon zest and cinnamon or almonds and chocolate chips. For a savoury one, you could also mix in other kinds of cheese, even grated cheese and chives. You can add salt and sugar to taste.
Here is how you make the dough:
(Get ready!)
1) Prepare flour, water, butter and sour cream in amounts shown. (To my eye: approx 1/3 cup flour, 100g butter, 1/3 cup water, 1.5-2 tbsp sour cream)
You'll need a heaping tablespoon of sour cream. This will make the dough really soft and flaky.
2) Cut in the butter and sour cream.
3) Make a burrow in the middle of the flour and slowly add in cold water.
4) Add in more flour as the dough comes together. This is not very scientific but you will be able to feel it happening!
The dough should look like this. It will be smooth and supple and should roll out easily.
5) Prepare the baking dish by buttering it and covering it in fine, non-flavored bread crumbs.
6) Roll out the dough fairly thinly but so that it will still be able to support a lot of filling ~1/8 to 1/10 inch.
7) Place the dough in the baking dish with sides overhanging approx 2 inches. Fill with ricotta filling of your choice.
8) Carefully fold in the dough, pleating it around the pie to hold in the filling.
9) Brush dough lightly with milk using a pastry brush.
Bake until golden, approx 40 minutes at 350 F (175 C).
(Mmm)
Here is what Ira suggests we do with any leftover dough – make biscuits! Always a great solution. These are better baked crisp but can also be pan-fried in butter (somewhat more unhealthy!). Just keep the oven on and these should bake in 15-20 minutes.
Re-roll dough, use whatever is handy to cut out desired shapes.
Ready to eat!
This post actually made me hungry, which I did not think was possible after our dinner tonight. We will be putting forth a group effort to recount it as soon as we compile a list of what was approximately 20 or more courses of extremely good Chinese food. I don’t think that’s counting dessert!
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