Athens along with its suburbs counts for about 4 million people which is almost half of Greece’s population. During the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s because of the lack of works in the province, people moved from villages to the big city to find a job. Initially and up to the 80’s downtown Athens was the place where most people lived, in condos. When the number of cars and trucks that circulated has started to rise and smog made its appearance in the sky many residents decided to move towards the suburbs which up to that moment were green and quiet. Slowly, slowly especially families started buying houses in the mountainous north or in the seaside south.
My family was such a case. We left downtown in 1979 to live up north in a suburb called Pefki. And when even this suburb became crowded, noisy with loads of cars, we moved even more to the north. The area where I live is very green with houses, not condos as the government doesn’t allow them and very quiet. Although I am a city girl, since I was born in Athens, I prefer to live in a more country like place and be me who will choose when to be among many people and noise.
Anyway, the place where I live apart from its natural beauties is known for yet another one reason; Paynirlì. As I have told you in the past after Greece lost the war with Turkey over a million of Greeks in Turkey were deported and came here. Along with them they brought their Middle eastern inspired dishes and they were incorporated in the local kitchen. One of these dishes was Paynirlì. Paynirlì is a boat like dough stuffed with butter and either cheese and egg or ground beef or sausage. Since many of the refugee Greeks were given houses in this area they started opening tavernas where among other specialties, Paynirlì was served. Drosià which in English means coolness is the place that even today is interwoven with Paynirlì. The word Paynirlì comes from the Turkish word Paynirlì that means “with cheese”. In Turkish peynir means cheese.
I live very close to all the tavernas that are left today and serve it and from time to time along with my family we go to eat there. Since I am a food lover and maker, I make it quite often at home and so there is no real need to eat it out, unless we feel like going out and be with people. The recipe is very simple and you can do it anytime at home. For the dough, you can use any pizza dough you use and you can fill it with practically everything. Don’t forget the butter and the egg which are trademarks. I decided to fill my Paynirlì with ground beef cooked with Middle Eastern spices. Very easy and you can make the dough and filling earlier and make and assemble them the same day.
- 206 gr. / 7 oz. All-Purpose Flour
- 206 gr. / 7 oz. semolina
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- 25 gr. / 1 oz. olive oil
- 255 to 283 gr. / 9 to 10 oz. lukewarm water
- 500 gr. / 1 lb ground beef
- 300 gr. / 10 oz. finely chopped tomatoes (I used canned)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup white wine
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp from each of the following: nutmeg, cinnamon, paprika, cumin, chili
- A small bunch of parsley, chopped
- Salt and pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- Couple of tbsp. of olive oil
- 1 egg per boat
- Butter for brushing the Paynirlì and put on top of them after they are out of the oven
- In a skillet put the 3 tbsp of olive oil in medium/high heat and saute the onion for couple of minutes.
- Add the ground beef and saute for 3 minutes.
- Pour the wine and continue to saute until almost all wine is absorbed.
- Next add the chopped tomatoes, herbs sugar and spices and bay leaves.
- Lower heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes.
- Take out the bay leaves.
- Remove from fire and put aside to cool.
- I placed all the ingredients for the dough in my bread maker machine in the dough circle and let it do all the job.
- When it finished I halved the dough and put the one half in the fridge for future use.
- With the rest half I made four Paynirlì.
- If you don’t have a bread maker machine, do the following:
- In your stand mixer place all the ingredients and beat until a smooth and soft dough is formed around the hook.
- Preheat oven to 200˚C / 400˚ F.
- Let the half dough you will use, rise for 45 minutes and then divide it again in four and start to knead making four oval thin disks.
- In the center of each arrange the ground beef.
- Start from the tips by covering them and seal them just like in the pictures.
- At this point you can sprinkle some grated cheese on top but this completely optional.
- Brush the dough with butter and place them in the oven and bake them for about 15 minutes or until the dough is ready and golden.
- Remove from the oven cut a small piece of butter and place it on top of the beef along with an egg either poached or sunny side up.
- Serve while warm.
- 206 γρ. Αλεύρι για όλες τις χρήσεις
- 206 γρ. σιμιγδάλι
- 1 κ.γ. μαγιά
- 2 κ.γ. αλάτι
- 2 κ.γ. ζάχαρη
- 25 γρ. ελαιόλαδο
- 255 με 283 γρ. χλιαρό νερό
- Για τον Κιμά
- 500 γρ. Μοσχαρίσιο κιμά
- 1 κρεμμύδι, ψιλοκομμένο
- 300 γρ. χυμό ντομάτας
- ¼ φλ. κρασί
- ½ κ.γ. από το καθένα από τα ακόλουθα: μοσχοκάρυδο, κανέλα, πάπρικα, κύμινο, τσίλι
- 1 κ.σ. ζάχαρη
- Ένα μικρό μάτσο μαϊντανό, ψιλοκομμένο
- Αλάτι και πιπέρι
- 2 φύλλα δάφνης
- 3 κ.σ. ελαιόλαδο
- 1 αυγό ανά πεινιρλί
- Βούτυρο για το άλειμμα και για να βάλουμε πάνω από τον κιμά όταν τα πεινιρλί είναι έτοιμα
- Σε μία κατσαρόλα προσθέστε το ελαιόλαδο και σωτάρετε το κρεμμύδι σε μέτρια/δυνατή φωτιά για δύο λεπτά περίπου.
- Προσθέστε τον κιμά και σωτάρετε για ακόμη τρία λεπτά.
- Ρίξτε το κρασί και σωτάρετε μέχρι να απορροφηθεί σχεδόν όλο το κρασί.
- Προσθέστε τις ντομάτες, τη ζάχαρη και όλα τα μυρωδικά και τα μπαχαρικά.
- Χαμηλώστε τη φωτιά στο χαμηλό και βράστε για 40 λεπτά.
- Σβήστε τη φωτιά και αφήστε τη στην άκρη να κρυώσει.
- Έβαλα όλα τα υλικά για τη ζύμη στον αρτοπαρασκευαστή στον κύκλο για τη ζύμη και άφησα αυτόν να κάνει όλη τη δουλειά.
- Όταν τελειώσει παίρνουμε τη μισή ποσότητα από τη ζύμη και βάζουμε το υπόλοιπο μισό στο ψυγείο για μελλοντική χρήση.
- Με το υπόλοιπο μισό έκανα τέσσερα πεινιρλί.
- Αν δεν έχετε αρτοπαρασκευαστή κάντε τα εξής:
- Στο μίξερ σας βάλτε όλα τα υλικά και χτυπήστε με τον γάτζο μέχρι να σχηματιστεί μια ζύμη λεία και απαλή γύρω του.
- Προθερμαίνετε το φούρνο στους 200˚C.
- Τη μισή ζύμη που θα χρησιμοποιήσετε, αφήστε τη να φουσκώσει για 45 λεπτά και στη συνέχεια διαιρέστε τη σε τέσσερα μπαλάκια και φτιάξτε με αυτά τέσσερις οβάλ λεπτούς δίσκους.
- Στο κέντρο του καθενός βάλτε περίπου 3 με 4 κουταλιές κιμά.
- Σε αυτό το σημείο μπορείτε να προσθέσετε και λίγο κασέρι τριμμένο αλλά αυτό είναι εντελώς προαιρετικό.
- Ξεκινήστε από τις άκρες, και κλείστε τα και σφραγίστε τα ακριβώς όπως στις φωτογραφίες.
- Αλλείψτε με λίγο βούτυρο τη ζύμη.
- Βάλτε στο φούρνο και ψήστε τα για περίπου 15 λεπτά ή μέχρι η ζύμη να είναι έτοιμη και χρυσή.
- Βγάλτε από το φούρνο, κόψτε ένα μικρό κομμάτι του βουτύρου και βάλτε το πάνω στον κιμά μαζί με ένα αυγό μάτι.
- Σερβίρετε ενώ είναι ζεστά.
