Ingredients
Dough
- 500 gplain flour
- 7 ginstant yeast
- 1 tspsalt
- 1 tbspcaster sugar
- 200 gplain yoghurt
- 150 mlwarm milk
- 1egg
- 2 tbspsunflower oil
For frying
- 1 litresunflower oil
To serve sweet
- icing sugar, to dust
- jam
- honey
To serve savoury
- sirene, crumbled white brined cheese
- thick yoghurt
Directions
- Warm the milk to blood temperature and no hotter. Take the yoghurt out of the fridge so it is not cold. Cold yoghurt slows the yeast considerably.
- Put the flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk them together so the yeast is evenly distributed. Add the yoghurt, warm milk, egg and oil. Mix it into a soft sticky dough with a wooden spoon. Turn it out and knead it for six or seven minutes. It should become smooth but should stay soft and slightly tacky.
- Put the dough in an oiled bowl and cover it. Leave it somewhere warm for about an hour. It should double in size and look full of air. Oil your hands and the work surface lightly. Turn the dough out and press it out to about a centimetre thick.
- Press with your fingertips rather than rolling it. Cut it into squares or rounds of about eight centimetres. Let the shaped pieces rest for ten minutes under a cloth.
- Heat the oil in a deep pan to about 175C. It should rise to the surface within a couple of seconds and sizzle steadily. Fry three or four at a time without crowding the pan. Fry them for about ninety seconds until deep golden underneath. Turn them once with a slotted spoon.
- Fry the second side for another ninety seconds. Do not turn them repeatedly, which knocks the air out. Lift them onto a rack lined with paper. Do not stack them while they are still hot. Let the oil come back up to temperature between batches.
- Serve jam or honey alongside for spreading. For the savoury version, crumble sirene cheese over them while hot. Serve thick yoghurt alongside in a bowl. They are eaten warm and go tough within a couple of hours.
Technique
- Press the dough out by hand rather than rolling it, which would flatten out the air.
- Fry at 175C; cooler oil makes them greasy and hotter oil leaves the middle raw.
- Turn them once only, since repeated turning knocks the puff out.
Substitutions
- Feta in place of sirene.
- Water in place of milk, for a plainer dough.
Variations
- Savoury, with sirene and yoghurt.
- Sweet, with icing sugar and jam.
- With grated cheese folded into the dough.
History
Fried dough eaten for breakfast with yoghurt, cheese or jam, made from a dough enriched with yoghurt.
Frequently asked questions
What is Mekitsi?
Mekitsi is a breakfast from Bulgaria: fried dough rounds with powdered sugar, jam or sirene. Fried dough eaten for breakfast with yoghurt, cheese or jam, made from a dough enriched with yoghurt.
How long does Mekitsi take to make?
Mekitsi takes 20 min plus 1 hour rising of preparation and 25 min of cooking. The recipe makes 16 pieces. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Mekitsi?
Yes, within limits. Feta in place of sirene. Water in place of milk, for a plainer dough.
What is the most important thing to get right in Mekitsi?
Press with your fingertips rather than rolling it. Cut it into squares or rounds of about eight centimetres. Let the shaped pieces rest for ten minutes under a cloth.
