This is a simple and easy recipe. If you like pizza, then I guarantee you will like this one too. You might find the name a bit of a mouthful, but the taste is mouth-watering. It comes from my native Bulgaria where back in the days my granny used to bake these all the time, but in a conventional oven. Now that we have a wood burning oven to use, it seemed completely appropriate to try this recipe as it is pretty much the same as a pizza dough. The end result is amazingly tasty!

Dough Ingredients (makes approx. 10 pieces if they are about 15cm base):

450g strong white flour

10g fresh yeast (or dry is also fine)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

270ml lukewarm water

Toppings

Melted butter

3 garlic cloves minced

Herb mix (once mixed, you sprinkle this on to the dough bases, on the top of your choice of cheese):

1 tsp cayenne pepper,

1 tbsp paprika

Pinch of salt,

1 tbsp ground fenugreek leaves,

1 tbsp oregano,

1 tsp corn flour,

1 tsp thyme,

2 tbsp raw ground pumpkin seeds

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tbsp savory

Feta cheese, goat cheese or cheddar – whichever one you like or mix them all together

Method

Step 1

Mix the yeast with the water and olive oil. Sift the flour and the salt into a large bowl.

Step 2

Pour the water, yeast and olive oil mixture into the flour and start mixing with your hands or alternatively I often use a silicone spatula.

Step 3

Transfer the dough on to a lightly floured surface and knead it for approx. 10 min. There shouldn’t be the need for extra flour, but I occasionally add just a little while kneading until the dough doesn’t stick to my fingers. The dough should become smooth, elastic and stretchy.

Step 4

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave it in a room temperature to raise for about an hour. It should double in size.

Step 5

Once the dough has risen, you can divide it into equally sized small balls. Using a rolling pin or your hands, shape each ball into a base like you would for a pizza.

Step 6

Using a brush, spread across each dough base the garlic butter, followed by sprinkling your choice of cheese and the herb mix. Your can then bake the bases as they are, but I prefer to close them like you would if you are making calzone pizza. The cheese melts inside, mixing so well with the garlic butter and it tastes divine. I prefer it that way as there is no danger or your garlic butter burning on the top of your dough base.

Step 7

While I have been busy making these gorgeous dough bases, the temperature in the wood-burning oven would have become incredibly hot. It will take no more than a minute for them to be cooked if placed one at the time. However, the oven is of course big enough to take on few, so sprinkle your pizza peel with semolina (it will prevent the dough from sticking on the surface). Line up your shaped dough bases and slide them on to the heated base of the oven.

Once cooked, slice them up and enjoy the amazing taste!