You are aware that I enjoy cooking, particularly kneading pastries and other flour-based dishes.
But this article will be slightly different since I have another pair of hands that can cook extremely well and, more importantly, roll out pie crusts the way they used to be made before they were on the market shelves.
Pies in Serbia were traditionally made from scratch; to enjoy this traditional delicacy, you must have skills, patience, and experience. I tried a few of times to make them myself, but I never got good enough to match what you see in the photographs. The process of making the dough for the crust itself can take hours; no, you will not knead the dough endlessly, but it will need to rest for an extended period of time.
It used to be true that love comes through the mouth and enters a man's heart through the stomach. Specifically in the past, a bride had to be skilled in knitting, cooking, and of course making pie crusts in order to be married; otherwise, her mother-in-law would become very unhappy.
I know how it sounds today, but at least in our region, a good dowry and capabilities in home chores were required - luckily those times are over, but the tradition is still valued, at least when it comes about the food. :D
1 kilogram of all purposes wheat flour, 1 dcl of oil, 20 grams of salt, and half a liter of water are required for the dough.
I was too late to catch the details of kneading the dough, but just mix all of the ingredients, knead until the dough stops sticking to your hands, divide the dough in three parts, oil each piece generously, place it on a tray and cover it, set aside for 3-4 hours. Preparing the dough the day before, leaving it overnight in a cooler spot, and then making the crusts at room temperature is ideal.
Actually, I wasn't late, but I was too shy to ask her if I may snap a photo of her while she was working, knowing how nervous it can make people.
As you are reading this post, it is obvious that I got the permission without difficulty, gosh knows how many chances I missed in life just cause I had that "ask for it" blockade.
Another very important detail during kneading is the cloth, most often cotton cloth was used on which crusts were developed, so no sticky surfaces come into consideration!
Use your hands to flatten a piece of dough as much as possible, without rough movements.
Always start from the middle and spread the edges with your fingertips. The lighting was poor, so you can see the noise in the photographs, but I think you can see how thin the dough is already. You'll also need extra room because once the crust is entirely flattened, it's the size of a table for six people.
Otherwise, this preparation method is common not just in Serbia but also in Bosnia, Macedonia, Turkey (from where we inherited it), and I suppose elsewhere around the globe.
You may add whatever you desire as filling, but we typically make it with cheese, potatoes, minced meat, and leeks. There are also sweet variations with apples, walnuts, and pumpkin, among many other options.
There were three types on our table today, with cheese, potatoes and leeks. You can add a couple of eggs to the cheese. Although potatoes are often sliced into little pieces in Bosnia, I personally like the grated variety. Spread out the filling generously all over the crust.
Elem, the thickness of the crust is measured in millimeters, and when you lift it, it is almost transparent.
Fold the edges inwards, then oil them and add more stuffing so that they are not dry.
To roll it, just take the end of the cloth, lift it off the table, and let the dough to roll itself, first on one side, then the other.
Meet me half way, cut between the two rolled sides with a knife.
Roll each one to the end, then place on a greased baking sheet.
Yes, that's the grated potato peeking through the crusts.
The crusts are too long when rolled up to fit in any baking pan, so fold them in half, spray a little more oil, then bake at 240 degrees, until golden brown.
I'm hoping that eventually technology will be able to transfer aromas, but in the meanwhile, you may enjoy these images of crispy pies.
We certainly did, to the extent that there are no pieces left and I crave for more.
Bon appetite foodies!
Wow, this is incredible. It is wonderful that you could document this, as the pace in which modern life is heading towards "sameness" people will hunger for different foods and cultures. I am already smelling this, even though the technology is not there yet to allow me. Thank you so much for sharing this, I am already getting ideas of what I am going to do with my variation of this.
Much appreciated!
So glad I was able to capture everything; I enjoy it even more when I can cause positive reactions all over the world; food brings people together. (:
Excited to see your variations or, at the very least, hear your impressions of how the preparation went.:)
Modern life might be as it is, but some old fashioned things will remain forever, like this pie, trust me taste is unique and you can nlt buy it. ;)
Let us hope for a future where people will appreciate things you cannot buy! For example, I wrote about my fig tree yesterday, and leaving the figs on the tree until they are ripe, is something few people will be able to enjoy; you cannot sell tree-ripened figs as they cannot be harvested without damaging them.
Oh yes, food is amazing in how it can bring us together. I am for sure going to try this soon! I can already taste it. Thanks again for sharing this.
(On a side note, I visited a Greek restaurant in South Africa (Pretoria) where they make a unique dish (the Greek owner said it was his invention; how true this is I do not know). They make something very similar to the dough you showed in your post, but their filling is tahini. They roll it into a snake formation and bake it. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. I might try your method with that filling first!)
Similarities may exist because the Ottoman Empire also ruled over the Greeks (we have a lot of that left in our gastronomic heritage). With the exception of their typical pita bread, I didn't get an opportunity to eat it, but because tahini is one of my favorite sauces and toppings, I have no concerns about the taste.
-Recently I found a book with over 200 bread recipes all over the globe, and I must tell that base is always the same no matter from where it comes, let's say bread is something common to all of us.
Will people soon start to appreciate food as it was in the past - not yet, we still have it plenty, but give it a time, we are heading backwards when it comes about food growing. Personally and fingers crossed I'm done with buying most of it as soon as the Spring knock the doors and hopefully in the future.
Food isn't just the fuel we need, it's much more, but nowdays when life runs so fast we don't give much importance to it.
Figs!
(mine favorite fruit, we planted two recently)
Once again, you are most welcome. :)
That is so interesting yes. Bread, the most basic version of it, flour water yeast salt, seems to be a universal thing. Wait, even without the yeast. It seems common to us all in every tradition to grind down some form of seed/grain and make a bread from it. I have always seen bread as basically one type of dough with variables in water and salt and oils (and other things of course). The difference, for example, between ciabatta and a "normal loaf" is basically just the hydration levels and the shaping technique.
It is so interesting to read about the different cultural influences. Our influences in South Africa are a bit more complicated but it made for some awesome dishes!
That is so true, most people today still eat very traditional food. But the shift is turning back towards homemade food, I think. At least where I live prices have increased so much on basic food sources that even fast food chains are getting expensive.
I hope for the day when cooking food becomes part of society or family norms again; food has played such an important role in our lives, like you said, and we are systematically relegating it to big corporate that does not have our best interest and health in mind.
Wow, this is absolute magic happening here. I mean, everything!! The dough, those hands of the magician (magician lady), the process, your photos, the results, the smell... oh, that one didn't come through the screen but from the Mind :)))
Give us food and music, so oir mindsycan wander around!
Hands were the deal (that's how I got the permission :)))
'I won't frame your face, just working hands', btw I adore hands with visible veins and mine will have to roll much more dough to get skilled for this!
Love this technique, I definitely learned a lot. I have this blog of yours on bookmark for later reference. Good morning from the Philippines!
Good morning Philippines!
Much thank you, pleasure was mine and I hope it will serve you well. 🤗
It will, thank you.
Muy apetitosas y el relleno debe darle sabor a esa masa en cada mordida felicidades
Puedes jugar con el relleno y adaptarlo a tu gusto, lo que sea que lo combines, no te equivocarás.
¡Gracias!
Your content has been voted as a part of Encouragement program. Keep up the good work!
Use Ecency daily to boost your growth on platform!
Support Ecency
Vote for new Proposal
Delegate HP and earn more
Many thanks @ecency team (:
Nice recepie Enjoy 😋
Thank you (:
You are highly welcome 😁
Join the foodie fun! We've given you a FOODIE boost. Come check it out at @foodiesunite for the latest community updates. Spread your gastronomic delights on and claim your tokens.
Thank you, thank you @sirenahippie (: