Albanos Pizza Recipes

ALBANIAN PIZZA FOR HANIFE

Steps:

• 1. pour about half bag of flour in a bowl, add about 2 tsp salt and mix, add enough warm water to make a soft smooth dough, set aside about 10 minutes , then pinch off and shape into 3" balls, set aside on floured surface. you should have about 10 balls of dough.
• 2. heat a large frying pan add 3tbs butter, the onion and garlic cook about 2 minutes, add tomatoes and spinach cook about 2 minutes, add feta and cottage cheese, continue to cook stirring constantly about 5 minutes, set aside.
• 3. lightly grease a large round cake pan with olive oil.
• 4. roll each ball into a thin disk, set aside on floured surface as you finish rolling out all the disks. the dough will be very elastic, as you stretch it out to about the size of the pan you are using, brush each disk with melted butter, . continue to stack with 4 more layers , then stack this in the pan, add the spinach and cheese filling.
• 5. roll out and butter and stack the next 5 layers, place on top of filling and scrunch top and bottom dough together to seal, brush top with butter or olive oil and bake at 350 until lightly golden brown and puffy.
• 6. when you remove it from the oven it will be kind of puffy take a spoon and smash it down to break the top all over, brush with melted butter, then sprinkle with a little water all over the top, cover with a towel for 5 minutes. Then cut and serve with a salad of feta cheese and slices of cucumber, onion and tomatoes.

ALBANIAN SPINACH PIE (BYREK ME SPINAQ OR PITE)

Steps:

• (NOTE: A round cake or pie pan is recommended because it's more authentic but any similar sized pan will do).
• Brush the pan with some of the oil, and start laying the filo leaves inside. First, lay two leaves, sprinkle or brush with oil, then lay two other leaves, and repeat the procedure until HALF of the leaves are laid. Make sure that they cover the pan by hanging them about one inch over the edges of the pan. Change directions, so that the entire pan is evenly covered.
• Sprinkle spinach with salt, then mix well by hand. Let sit for a minute.
• Add the feta cheese, onions, eggs and stir.
• Spread spinach mixture over the filo leaves in the pan.
• Cover the spinach with the rest of the pastry leaves repeating the first-half procedure.
• Roll the hanging edges of the bottom leaves over the pie (think of a pizza crust), sprinkle top with oil.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve hot.