serves
16
prep
50 minutes
cook
1:30 hour
difficulty
Mid
serves
16
people
preparation
50
minutes
cooking
1:30
hour
difficulty
Mid
level
Hemp was an important crop in the region, so it makes an appearance alongside honey and wheat. The ground seeds make a filling called julfa, which can also be used in other dishes as an alternative to soft dairy cheese. The usual number of layers is twelve, but feel free to experiment with fewer layers while practicing your technique.
Ingredients
- 400 g (3 ¼ cups) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 250 ml (1 cup) water
- 1 pinch salt
For the filling
- 250 g (2 cups) pumpkin seeds
- 250 g (2 cups) hulled hemp seeds, plus extra to serve (optional)
- 3 tbsp honey
- 125 ml (½ cup) hemp milk, any non-dairy milk or water
For the syrup
- 450 ml (1 ¾ cups) water
- 125 g (generous ½ cup) golden caster sugar
- 2 tbsp honey
- juice and zest of 1 lemon
You will need to start this recipe 1 day ahead.
Resting time: 30 minutes + overnight
Resting time: 30 minutes + overnight
Instructions
- Combine the flour, water and salt in a bowl and knead to a firm dough. Leave to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes, then knead again and leave to rest for a further 15 minutes.
- Set a large cast-iron (or non-stick) frying pan over medium heat. Don't add any oil.
- Divide the dough into 12 pieces, about 50 g each. On a floured work surface, roll and stretch one ball to a circle, 25 cm in diameter (or as large as your pan). Keep dusting with a little flour underneath and on top of the dough, so you can roll and stretch it very thinly by hand. Lift and place in the hot pan (don't worry if it loses its shape slightly) and cook for 3 minutes, then flip and cook the other side for a further 3 minutes. It needs to have the texture of a thin, dry biscuit. Repeat with the remaining dough balls, rolling and cooking one at a time. Stack them on a plate or a wire cooling rack.
- To make the filling, grind the pumpkin seeds to a powder in a food processor. Add the hemp seeds and blitz them together. Add the honey, then gradually add the milk or water, with the motor at medium speed, until the mixture reaches a soft, spreadable consistency. Set aside.
- To make the syrup, bring all the ingredients to a boil in a pan, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until thickened. Pour into a large shallow dish, wide enough to fit one of the flatbreads inside.
- To assemble the pie, soak a flatbread in the syrup for 30 seconds, then place it in a dish or a plate with a deep lip. Spread the flatbread with a thin layer of the filling. Repeat with all the remaining flatbreads, leaving the top one plain. You can spoon a little of the remaining syrup on top. Wrap the dish or plate in clingfilm (plastic wrap), then place a tray on top and weigh it down with something heavy. This will ensure that the layers are pressed evenly (don't worry if they crack). Leave for 24 hours, then slice and serve.
- You can serve it as it is or save a couple of tablespoons of the filling to spread on top and sprinkle with a few hulled hemp seeds.
This recipe is from Tava, Eastern European Baking and Desserts from Romania and Beyond by Irina Georgescu, (RRP $55.00). Photography by Matt Russell.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
Hemp was an important crop in the region, so it makes an appearance alongside honey and wheat. The ground seeds make a filling called julfa, which can also be used in other dishes as an alternative to soft dairy cheese. The usual number of layers is twelve, but feel free to experiment with fewer layers while practicing your technique.
