Boyos
Instructions:
- 5 1/2 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 cups lukewarm water
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- Olive oil
- 1 recipe filling of choice
- Cold water (optional)
- 1 extra large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water for egg wash.
- Sesame seeds for sprinkling (optional)
- Spinach Filling (Gomo de Espinaca)
- 1 bunch spinach (about 3/4 pound), finely cut, or 1 pound frozen cut-leaf spinach
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup grated Romano cheese.
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 tablespoons flour
- Mix filling ingredients together.
- Onion Filling
- 5 pounds regular onions
- 5 pounds sweet onions
- 1 egg
- 2 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup flour or dry potato flakes
- 1 pound dry small curd cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup Romano cheese, grated
- Slice onions in food processor, then saute in vegetable oil.
- Put into a colander and let drain for a couple hours.
- Save liquid for broth.
- Combine drained onions with remaining ingredients.
- Set aside 1/2 cup flour and mix with grated cheese. Place 5 cups flour in a mixing bowl with salt. Mix well.
- Dissolve sugar in the lukewarm water. Mix in yeast and proof for 10 minutes.
- Make a well in the center of the mound of flour and pour in proofed yeast mixture. Stir well and start kneading. Add more flour as needed to produce a slightly sticky dough. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a damp towel to rest for 30 minutes.
- Divide the dough into four equal parts. Roll each into a ball. Place each ball of dough in a large bowl with 1/2 inch of olive oil. Turn the dough over so that every part of the surface is oiled. Cover each bowl with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes more.
- While the dough is rising, preheat the filling for the boyos.
- Prepare two well-oiled cookie sheets.
- On a well-oiled bread board, roll out one ball of dough to a 15-inch square. The dough will be very thin. Set aside one quarter of the cheese-flour mixture. Sprinkle half of the cheese-flour mixture you have set aside over the dough. Fold the two ends of the sheet of dough over the filling, letting them meet at the center.
- Sprinkle the remainder of the cheese-flour mixture you have set aside over this and then fold the sheet of dough in half.
- Cut the piece of dough into six squares of equal size.
- Roll one of the squares into a 5-inch square. Place 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of the square.
- Fold each point of the square into the center of the pastry and pinch the edges gently to seal.
- Using a spatula, gently place the finished pastry on a prepared cookie sheet. Repeat steps 10 through 12 with the remaining 5 pieces of dough. Then repeat steps 7 through 12 with the remaining dough and filling. You will have 24 boyos.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Brush the boyos with the egg wash and sprinkle lightly with the sesame seeds, if you wish. Bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Cool to room temperature before serving.