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Lakror
Lakror: Albanian layered pie of thin dough with leeks, onion and cheese
Lakror comes from the south of Albania, around Korçë, where it was baked in a round copper tray under a saç, a domed iron lid heaped with embers, and eaten for breakfast or carried to the fields. Thin rounds of homemade dough are layered with oil, then filled with leeks, onions and cheese, giving a pie that is crisp at the top and soft inside. At home, a very hot oven stands in for the saç. The common mistake is rolling the dough too thick: each round should be thin enough to see your hand through, or the layers stay doughy. Chef's tip: rest the dough balls for 30 minutes after kneading; relaxed dough rolls out thin without shrinking back.
- Total time
- 100 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb plain flourplus extra for rolling
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ¼ cups waterwarm
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- ¼ cup sunflower oilfor layering
For the filling
- 3 leeksabout 600 g, thinly sliced
- 1 onionthinly sliced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 7 oz gjizë or feta-style white cheesecrumbled
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp black pepper
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb plain flour and 1 tsp salt, add 1 ¼ cups water and 1 tsp white wine vinegar and knead for 8 minutes into a smooth, soft dough. Divide into 8 balls, cover and rest for 30 minutes.
8 minStep 2: Meanwhile, fry 3 leeks and 1 onion in 3 tbsp olive oil over a medium heat for 12–15 minutes, until very soft and dry. Cool, then mix with 7 oz gjizë or feta-style white cheese, 1 egg and ½ tsp black pepper.
15 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 425°F (400°F fan) and oil a 30 cm round tin.
Step 4: Roll each ball on a floured surface into a 32 cm round, as thin as you can.
Step 5: Lay 4 rounds in the tin, brushing each generously with ¼ cup sunflower oil before adding the next.
Step 6: Spread the filling evenly, then top with the remaining 4 rounds, oiling each one. Trim and tuck in the edges, and cut the pie into 8 wedges with a sharp knife.
Step 7: Bake on the lowest shelf for 35–40 minutes, until deep golden and crisp on top and the base is browned. Rest 10 minutes before serving. Gjizë and feta-style cheese may be made with animal rennet; for vegetarians choose one labelled vegetarian.
40 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lakror take?
- About 100 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of white wine vinegar?
- Cider vinegar or rice vinegar, same amount.
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