Turos Bukta (Branzoici)

To prepare a delicious recipe for cheese-filled pastries, we will start with the basic ingredients that are essential for obtaining a fluffy and aromatic dough. In a container, we heat 250 ml of milk until it becomes warm and, in this milk, we will dissolve fresh yeast along with two tablespoons of sugar, salt, and vanilla sugar. This mixture will activate the yeast, giving the dough that airy texture we desire.

After the yeast has completely dissolved, we make a hole in the center of 500 g of sifted flour and pour in the milk and yeast mixture. Using a fork or a spatula, we start to incorporate the flour into the liquid, mixing gently until we obtain a homogeneous dough. We cover the bowl with a clean towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, until it doubles in volume.

Once the dough has risen, we add the 8 egg yolks, 100 g of melted butter, the remaining sugar, the grated zest of a lemon, and we start kneading. It is important for the dough to be softer to achieve fluffy pastries. If we notice that the dough is too hard, we can add a little warm milk until we get the desired consistency. We continue to knead until the first air bubbles appear in the dough, indicating that the yeast has acted properly. At this stage, we add a handful of oil and continue kneading for about 10 minutes.

After we finish kneading, we place the dough in a bowl greased with a little oil and let it rise again, this time also in a warm place, until it doubles in volume again. Once the dough is ready, we take it out of the bowl and stretch it with our hands on a work surface, forming strips of dough about the width of a pinky finger. We cut these strips into squares, which we will fill with cheese, preferably well-drained cottage cheese mixed with a little sugar and vanilla.

After filling the squares of dough with cheese, we fold them into an envelope shape and place them in a greased or lined baking tray with aluminum foil. We let the pastries rise for another 20 minutes, covering them with a towel. Before placing them in the oven, we brush them with egg yolk to achieve a golden crust. We preheat the oven to a high temperature and bake the pastries for about 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to low and let them bake for 30 minutes.

After the pastries are baked, we take them out of the oven and cover them with a towel to keep them warm and fluffy. This step is essential to achieve a perfect texture. We let the pastries cool covered, and then they are ready to serve. Enjoy these delicious and fluffy pastries with your loved ones!