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Khabizgina
Potato and cheese pie
Ossetian potato and cheese pie from a soft yeast dough
GeorgianOf all the Ossetian pies, khabizgina is the homely one: a thin round of soft yeast dough wrapped around mashed potato and salty fresh cheese, baked hot and fast and drenched in melted butter. For feasts and remembrance days Ossetian cooks bake three pies and stack them, but on an ordinary evening one khabizgina cut into wedges is supper, with a pot of tea, yogurt or a crunchy salad. The crust is barely 1 cm thick and the filling creamy and peppery. Using a rolling pin tends to tear the dough over the filling, so shape it with your palms instead. If your cheese is made with animal rennet, look for a vegetarian alternative. Chef's tip: let the mash cool and mix it with the cheese until it is a stiff ball, roughly the same size and softness as the dough, and it spreads evenly to the edge.
- Total time
- 95 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the dough
- 14 oz plain flourplus extra for shaping
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup warm milk
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
For the filling
- 1 ⅛ lb floury potatoespeeled and cut into chunks
- 9 oz Ossetian cheese or fetacrumbled; vegetarian (non-animal rennet) if needed
- 1 oz butter
- ½ tsp black pepperfreshly ground
To finish
- 1 ¾ oz buttermelted
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Mix 14 oz plain flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp salt. Add 1 cup warm milk and 2 tbsp sunflower oil and knead for 8 minutes into a very soft, smooth dough. Cover and leave in a warm place for 45 minutes, until doubled.
45 minStep 2: Meanwhile, boil 1 ⅛ lb floury potatoes in salted water for 15–18 minutes, until tender. Drain well, let them steam dry for 2 minutes, then mash with 1 oz butter.
18 minStep 3: When the mash is just warm, work in 9 oz Ossetian cheese or feta and ½ tsp black pepper until smooth and stiff. Divide the filling into two balls.
Step 4: Heat the oven to 450°F (400°F fan) with a large baking tray inside. Divide the dough in two and flatten each piece on a floured surface into a 15 cm round.
Step 5: Put a ball of filling in the middle of each round. Pull the edges of the dough up over the filling and pinch them together on top, like closing a bag.
Step 6: Turn the parcel seam-side down and press it out with your palms, working from the centre, into a 28–30 cm disc about 1 cm thick. Make a small hole in the middle with your finger.
Step 7: Slide the pies onto baking paper and onto the hot tray. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until golden with brown patches and the base sounds hollow when tapped.
18 minStep 8: Brush each pie straight away with 1 ¾ oz butter, so it soaks in. Cut into wedges and serve hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 59 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does khabizgina take?
- About 95 minutes in total: 70 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 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 fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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