Cheese and anise bread
(feteer falahi bjebneh - Palestinian peasant pastry)
To make 8 squares
The dough
1 kg all purpose flour
1 tablespoon yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
water
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable oil
I usually half the recipe to get 4 squares, you can double or half the recipe according to your needs
The filling
Cheese and anise filling
3 cups of nabulsi cheese (or any firm salty cheese that holds its shape during baking) cut into small 1 cm cubes
2 tablespoons anise
Instructions
Mix the filling ingredients in a bowl , set aside
In a 1/4 cup of warm water dissolve the yeast and sugar and wait for the yeast to bubble (this is called proofing the yeast, if the yeast does not bubble and foam, it has gone bad and you need to buy a new one)
Add the salt to the flour, whisk to combine, add the yeast/water mixture and start kneading adding water gradually till you get a soft sticky dough consistency (I needed 2 cups of water but the amount varies with the type of flour)
Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes, allow to rest , covered in a warm place for half an hour
In a bowl add the vegetable oil and olive oil and keep it next to your working area.
Wet your hands with a little oil and cut the dough into 8 balls , brush each ball in the oil mixture and allow to rest for another 10-15 minutes
Brush a pan or your working surface with a little oil, start with the first dough ball you cut and spread it into a circle roughly 25 cm or 10 inches in diameter
Brush the top with a little oil then fold one-third of the circle onto the middle third of it (as you can see in the picture)
Spread your filling onto the folded part of the dough then fold the other third over the filling (the dough should now look like a rectangle)
Fold one-third of the rectangle over the middle third, cover it with your filling of choice.
Fold the other third over your filling (now you should have a square dough)
Allow this one to rest while you start working on the next one.
Once you have stuffed and folded all the dough balls, go back to the first square and brush it with oil and spread it into a larger square using a rolling-pin or your hands. Then do the same with the rest of your squares.
Note: The larger and thinner you spread the filled dough, the more crispy the final brad will be. If you would rather have a soft and chewy bread, don’t spread the filled dough squares too much
Transfer the dough to a baking sheet that you have brushed with oil and sprinkle them with anise.
Bake on the middle rack of a preheated oven (270 C or the highest temperature your oven will go)
Once the bottom is golden brown, turn on the broiler till the tops are golden brown too Don’t leave this bread unattended, it browns quickly because it is thin
Allow the bread to cool on a wire rack for 7-10 minutes and then cover with a clean dry cloth to keep it from becoming dry.
Notes:
This bread can be frozen for up to 3 months, just wrap well in a plastic bag and freeze it.When you want to eat it just get it out of the freezer and into a heated oven for a few minutes till it is warmed through and it will be as good as new
You can make the bread in a smaller individual portion size by cutting the dough into smaller balls (16 balls instead of 8 if you are making the whole recipe)
Nabulsi cheese is a salty firm cheese made from goat’s milk, I will be sharing the recipe and the step by step procedure to making it in a post coming very soon. If you can’t find it, you can replace it with any firm and salty cheese you like
The filling can be adapted to your liking. Spinach and onions, oregano and green onions, or almonds are the traditional choices but you can try new and different combinations,use your imagination.
its very easy..
