Saburani

Caucasian cuisine is famous for its pies. One of them is Saburani, which consists of many thin layers of pre-boiled dough interspersed with a cheese assortment. In the Caucasus, there is a wide selection of cheeses, so the filling includes 4-5 types, but must include Adyghe cheese and brinza. This pie can be served with Provence cabbage, which adds freshness and lightness to this rich dish.

Preparation time: 90 minutes.

Caloric content: 313 kcal per 100 grams of the dish.

Yield: 5 servings.

Cuisine: Caucasian.

Ingredients

For a mold with a diameter of 21 centimeters and a height of 8 centimeters, we need:

• eggs – 2 pcs;
• fine salt – a pinch;
• cool purified water – 45 ml;
• flour (premium) – 300 g;
• butter – 80 g;
• refined vegetable oil – 30 ml.

Filling:

• you need to take several types of cheese (brinza, Adyghe, suluguni, mozzarella, hard) with a total weight of 550-600 g.

Preparation

1. Prepare all the ingredients for making Saburani. The butter and vegetable oil will be used to grease the layers.

2. Gather the cheese assortment. In terms of quantity, the majority should be Adyghe cheese and brinza. The other types can vary in weight – the main thing is that the total mass is no less than 500 grams.

3. Salt the eggs, add water, and mix until fully combined.

4. In a separate deep bowl, sift all the flour.

5. Make a small well and pour the egg mixture into it.

6. Stir the mixture until all the moisture is absorbed and lumps form.

7. Pour it onto the table and knead a stiff dough. Kneading it is not easy – it is very dense and tough, reminiscent of dumpling dough. But after 5-6 minutes, the dough will become smooth and homogeneous. Gather it into a ball.

8. Place the dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap so the gluten can relax. Leave it like this for about 15 minutes.

9. Grate all types of cheese on a coarse grater. Brinza can be crumbled with your fingers. Mix and taste for salt – the filling should be slightly salty, so add more salt if necessary and cover with a towel to prevent it from drying out.

10. Melt the butter, then mix with the vegetable oil and set aside.

11. Meanwhile, the dough has rested and softened. Roll it into a log and divide into 13 equal parts, approximately 34 grams each.

12. Combine two parts together and round all the pieces. In total, you should have 11 small balls and 1 large one. Cover them with plastic wrap.

13. Roll out the blanks, dusting with flour on both sides, very thinly – until transparent. The diameter should be a little larger than the diameter of the mold or the same.

14. Fold the circles like an envelope, sprinkling each fold with flour to prevent the dough from sticking.

15. Stack the envelopes on top of each other, overlapping.

16. Roll out the largest ball last – this will be the base of the pie. It should not be folded – it will be boiled first.

17. Grease the mold or line it with silicone parchment. Place a large pot of water (4 liters) on maximum heat. Add a teaspoon of salt. Prepare a wide bowl with cold water and several towels.

18. As soon as the water boils, dip the large rolled blank into it. Boil for 20 seconds.

19. Remove it with a slotted spoon.

20. Immediately dip it in cold water.

21. After 20 seconds, take the sheet out by hand, lay it on a towel, and blot it.

22. Transfer it to the mold and arrange it so that the edges cover the sides. Creases formed are welcome in this pie.

23. Boil the small circle in the same way and lay it in the mold, distributing the folds haphazardly.

24. Grease each layer with oil.

25. And lay out the cheese filling. If there isn’t enough cheese for the last couple of layers, leave them empty and just grease them.

26. Tuck the edges of the last crust inside the pie and generously grease with the remaining oil.

27. Place the mold in an oven preheated to 180 degrees. If possible, turn on the upper and lower heating with convection. The baking time depends on the characteristics of the oven, but you can focus on the top crust – when it turns golden, the pie is ready, since all layers have been pre-cooked, and the cheese is already ready. Approximate time for baking Saburani – 20 minutes.

28. Let the pie cool slightly. The golden wavy crust is infused with a creamy flavor. Saburani easily comes out of the mold and is cut into portions, the layers are clearly visible, and the filling stretches. An incredibly tender, delicious, and hearty Caucasian pie awaits its fans.