Maramureș plăcinte, Romanian pies with urdă and dill

Name: Maramureș plăcinte, Romanian pies with urdă and dill
Ingredients: 500 g flour; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 egg; 1 tablespoon sugar; 7 g dry yeast; 300 ml lukewarm water; 25 ml oil; 1 egg; 500 g urdă; 15 g dill; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 150 ml oil

Appetizers - Maramureș plăcinte, Romanian pies with urdă and dill by Cerasela E. - Recipia

Maramureș plăcinte, Romanian pies with urdă (a fresh whey cheese) and dill, are pan-fried for 4 minutes on each side. Let the dough rise until doubled in volume, then you’ll have ten pies with golden crusts and soft centers, filled with urdă and dill. I like them warm, with cold milk. Prep: 35 minutes. Cook: 40 minutes. Rest: 85 minutes. Total time: 160 minutes. Serves: 5. Approximately 700 kcal and 25 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

For the dough

500 g flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon sugar
7 g dry yeast
300 ml lukewarm water
25 ml oil

For the filling

1 egg
500 g urdă
15 g dill
1/2 teaspoon salt

For frying

150 ml oil

Preparation

1. Sift the flour into a bowl and mix it with 1 teaspoon of salt. Beat the egg and add it to the flour. Dissolve the sugar and yeast in the lukewarm water, then gradually pour in the liquid and knead the dough for 8 minutes, until elastic. Work in the oil. 2. Cover the bowl with a towel and leave the dough to rise for 60 minutes, until doubled in volume. 3. Beat the egg for the filling and mix it with the urdă, chopped dill and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. 4. Divide the dough into 10 balls and leave them on the work surface for 15 minutes. Roll out each ball, put 2 tablespoons of filling in the middle, bring the edges together and press them firmly in the center. Leave the pies to rise for another 10 minutes. 5. Heat the frying oil in a nonstick frying pan over low heat. Fry 2 pies at a time, for 4 minutes on each side, until golden. Work in 5 batches, then transfer them to paper towels.

Notes

I got the idea from Tabita, and the pies keep in the fridge, in a sealed container, for up to 3 days. If the urdă has whey, leave it to drain well; drier urdă keeps the filling in the middle. You can use well-drained cottage cheese instead of urdă and adjust the salt to taste. The dough and filling contain gluten, dairy and eggs. You can serve them with a cup of milk.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use fresh yeast instead of dry yeast?

Yes, use 21 g of fresh yeast and dissolve it in the lukewarm water with the sugar.

Can I make the dough the night before?

Yes, cover it and put it in the fridge after kneading, for no more than 12 hours. Then leave it at room temperature for 45 minutes before dividing it.

What should I do if the filling comes out through the seam?

Bring the edges together tightly in the center and place the pie seam-side down in the pan.

How can I tell if the pan is too hot?

The oil shouldn’t smoke. If the pies brown too quickly, lower the heat and keep the pan over low heat.

Why do they fry unevenly?

Roll the dough balls into rounds of a similar thickness, and leave a little space between the pies in the pan so you can turn them easily.