See also the Smoked Cheese and Kumquat Bread which is basically the winter version of my topped breads. For a more spicy-aromatic topping spread Zaatar mixed with olive oil over the tomatoes.

Yields 2 laganes (focaccia-like flat breads), each serving 6-8 people as appetizer

2 cups fine semolina or pasta flour
3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup barley flour (optional) or 1 more cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 teaspoons mixed ground coriander seeds, caraway and mahlep (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper (optional)
About 3  1/2 cups spring water (preferably non chlorinated), or more, as needed

3 cups coarsely grated or shaved Metsovone, or aged smoked cheddar cheese

2-3 large beefsteak tomatoes, thinly sliced (as needed)

2 tablespoons or more rosemary leaves

About 4 tablespoons olive oil

Finishing salt and Aleppo pepper, or freshly ground black pepper, to taste (optional)

Place flours, yeast and spices in the bowl of a standing mixer and toss with a spatula. Make a well in the center and pour in the 2 cups of water.

Fit the bowl to the mixer and work with the dough hook on low for 1 minute. With the motor running add water as needed and work the dough for 5 minutes or more, occasionally stopping to turn over the dough with a large spatula. The dough should still be wet and somewhat sticky, but should start to come off the sides of the bowl. If too dry, add a little more water, if too wet add a few tablespoons of all purpose flour.

Lightly oil a large transparent or semi-transparent bowl, as well as a piece of plastic wrap. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. Transfer to the oiled bowl. Cover with the oiled plastic wrap and let rise until double its original volume: about 1 hour or more.

(When the dough has expanded to about 1 1/2 times its size you may transfer the bowl with the dough to the refrigerator, and leave it overnight and up to 24 hours. It will continue to rise slowly. Before proceeding further, bring to room temperature).

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and halve with a spatula.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and place one piece of dough on each. Wet your fingers and push the dough making dimples with wet fingers, expanding it to fill the baking sheet. Cover with oiled plastic wraps and let the laganes rise for another 30 minutes –they won’t rise much.

Preheat the oven to 450°F (240° C).

Spread most of the cheese (keep 3-4 tablespoons) over each of the breads pushing and making dimples again, then arrange the tomato slices and top of the cheese, to almost cover the surface. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and the rosemary, and drizzle lightly with olive oil. If you like, sprinkle with some finishing salt and pepper.

Turn on the broiler and place the first baking sheet 5-6 inches from the broiler. Bake for about 5 minutes, until the cheese melts. Move the bread to the bottom of the oven, and slide the other baking sheet to its place. After another 5 minutes, turn off the broiler and lower the heat to 375°F.

Transfer the second bread closer to the bottom of the oven, bellow the first, and continue baking for another 15 minutes, changing once more the positions of the breads –always at the lower part of the oven. Check that both breads are well browned on top and bottom, or bake them a bit longer. When done, transfer to a rack to cool for about 10 minutes, before slicing to serve.

VARIATIONS:

Spread Zaatar mixed with olive oil over the tomatoes for a more spicy-aromatic topping. Instead of the basic dough, you could use the Tomato Salad Bread as base for this appetizer, one of the most popular among our friends and Kea Artisanal guests.

The post Tomato-and-cheese-topped Lagana (Flat Bread) appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.

Both in Greece, in southern Italy, and in Sicily, ricotta-based sweets are very popular, especially around Easter time. Unfortunately, the current American version that uses packaged ‘cream cheese’ and has been adopted by bakers all around the world, is far from the delicious, if less refined-looking traditional cheesecakes from which I was inspired to make this one.

Serves 12-15 (two logs)

Sunflower oil, for the pans

300 grams soft, creamy feta cheese (not aged), crumbled

1  2/3 – 2 cups sugar

600 grams Myzithra, Anthotyro or Ricotta cheese –preferably sheep’s milk

3 tablespoons corn starch

3 tablespoons cream, or full-fat milk

6 eggs

Zest of 2 untreated lemons (or 1 lemon and 1 orange or tangerine)

1/2 package (250 grams) kataifi (shredded phyllo pastry)

4 tablespoons melted butter or sunflower oil

1/2 cup almonds flakes

2 cups kumquat, blood, or bitter orange preserves, or any good marmalade

Oil two cake pans and preheat the oven to 320º F (160º C).

In the bowl of a food processor beat together the feta, sugar (more or less, according to your taste) and the myzithra or ricotta. Dilute the cornstarch in the cream or milk and add to cheeses. Add eggs, one at a time, and process to get a smooth, creamy mixture. Pour into oiled pans and place in a larger deep baking dish. Transfer to the lower part of the oven, and pour in enough hot water to get half-way up the sides of the cake pans.

Bake for about 1 hour, or until the cheesecakes set and their tops are puffed and deep golden. Remove from oven and cool on a rack. Do not turn the oven off.  As it cools the cheesecake will shrink and the cracks will disappear. When cold, cover pans with foil and refrigerate overnight and up to 5 days.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper tracing the size of the plate where you plan to serve the cheesecake. In a bowl sprinkle  the kataifi with butter or sunflower oil and work with our fingers to oil all threads. Transfer to parchment paper and shape, following the trace you made. Sprinkle with the almonds, and bake for about 10 minutes in the middle rack, until light golden. Let cool and transfer to the serving platter.

Up to this stage you can prepare the crust 1-5 days in advance, cover with foil or plastic, and let stand at room temperature.

To serve the cheesecake run the blade of a knife around the sides of the pans and invert over the kataifi. Top with preserves or marmalade. As you cut servings, make sure you include pieces of the crunchy kataifi crust.

The post Cheesecake with Feta and Myzithra (Ricotta) appeared first on Aglaia's Table οn Kea Cyclades.

Photo by MANOUSOS DASKALOGIANNIS 

I got the recipe from the North of Greece and I particularly love to bake it in the winter, but also all year round, as I am fed up with the common baked gigantes in tomato sauce that all taverns serve.

From my first book The Foods of Greece

Serves 6 

1-pound gigantes, extra-large beans

2 tablespoons dry oregano, preferably Greek

2/3 – 1 cup good olive oil

2 onions, coarsely chopped

½ – 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, or red pepper flakes, to taste

6-8 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped (as many as you like)

1 1/2 cups chopped dill

1 cup dry white wine

Salt

Soak the beans in water overnight. Drain, place in a pot and cover with plenty of cold water. Bring to a boil, skim, reduce the heat, sprinkle with one tablespoon of oregano, and simmer for 40 min or more, until the beans start to be tender.

Drain, and keep the liquid.

Preheat the oven to 300 F (150 C).

Heat the olive oil in a skillet and sauté the onions for about 8 min. until translucent. Add the Aleppo, or pepper flakes and the garlic, the rest of the oregano and the wine, and cook, stirring for 1 minute then remove from the heat. Add 1 ½ teaspoons salt and pour the sauce into an ovenproof glass or clay casserole. Add the beans and toss with half the dill, and about 1 ½ cups of the bean cooking water.

Cover with the lid or with double aluminum foil and bake for about 1 hour, until the beans are very soft, and most of their liquid has evaporated. Check once during cooking, and if need be, add more cooking liquid.

Uncover the beans, drizzle with olive oil and bake another 10-15 minutes to caramelize the top, then sprinkle with the rest of the dill and serve warm, or at room temperature.

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