Dobrogean pie

Ah, the Dobrogean Pie (Plăcintă Dobrogeană)! This is a beloved and distinctive Romanian pastry from the Dobrogea region. It’s famous for its creamy, savory cheese filling and its characteristic crinkled or coiled appearance, achieved by rolling up thin pastry sheets.

It’s a wonderful dish for brunch or as a main meal component.

Here is a traditional recipe, utilizing the convenient method of store-bought phyllo dough (or foi de plăcintă), which makes the preparation much quicker than making the dough from scratch.

🇷🇴 Plăcintă Dobrogeană (Traditional Dobrogea Cheese Pie)

This recipe is sized for a large round or rectangular baking dish (approx. $9 \times 13 \text{ inches}$ or $23 \times 33 \text{ cm}$).

🧀 Ingredients

Componentă (Component)	Cantitate (Quantity)	Notițe (Notes)
Phyllo Dough (Foi de plăcintă)	$1 \text{ package}$ ($\sim 400-500 \text{ g}$)	Thawed overnight in the refrigerator.
Salty Cheese (Telemea or Feta)	$400 \text{ g}$	Crumbled. This gives the authentic salty taste.
Sweet Cow Cheese (Brânză de vaci)	$200 \text{ g}$	Optional, for a creamier texture. Ricotta can be a substitute.
Large Eggs (Ouă)	$5 \text{ total}$	$3 \text{ for the filling}, 2 \text{ for the topping}$.
Sour Cream or Thick Yogurt (Smântână)	$400 \text{ g}$ ($\sim 1 \frac{2}{3} \text{ cups}$)	Full-fat is recommended for the best flavor.
Melted Butter (Unt topit)	$100 \text{ g}$	For brushing the phyllo sheets.
Salt	To taste	Add cautiously, depending on the saltiness of your cheese.

🧑‍🍳 Instructions

1. Prepare the Filling

1. Cheese Mix: In a large bowl, combine the crumbled salty cheese and the sweet cow cheese (if using).
2. Add Eggs & Cream: Add $3$ of the eggs and $100 \text{ g}$ (about $\frac{1}{4}$) of the sour cream/yogurt to the cheese mixture.
3. Mix: Stir thoroughly until the filling is uniform. Adjust salt if necessary.

2. Form the Rolls (The “Crinkled” Look)

1. Butter Sheets: Lay one sheet of phyllo dough flat. Brush lightly with melted butter. Place a second sheet directly on top and brush that one lightly as well.
2. Spread Filling: Spread a thin, even layer of the cheese filling over the entire surface of the layered phyllo sheets.
3. Roll: Roll the sheets up tightly from one long side to the other, forming a long cylinder (rulou).
4. Crinkle: Gently push the long roll together from both ends toward the middle, creating a tightly crinkled, accordion-like effect (creață).

3. Assembly and Baking

1. Preheat: Preheat your oven to $180^\circ\text{C}$ ($350^\circ\text{F}$).
2. Arrange: Grease your baking dish. Place the crinkled rolls snugly in the pan, starting from the outside and coiling them inward to fill the dish.
3. Prepare Topping: In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining $2$ eggs with the remaining $300 \text{ g}$ of sour cream/yogurt.
4. Pour: Pour this creamy liquid mixture evenly over the arranged phyllo rolls in the pan. This will soak into the layers and create the incredibly soft, moist texture of the plăcintă.
5. Bake: Bake for $35 \text{ to } 45 \text{ minutes}$, or until the top is puffed and a rich golden brown.

🍽️ Serving

Allow the plăcintă to cool slightly before cutting and serving. It is best enjoyed while still warm.

Poftă bună!

Would you be interested in a sweet version of a Romanian plăcintă, perhaps with apples or pumpkin?