Cleopatra’s Eyes
Adapted from Riyad Al-Kasem’s “Ekmak”
Makes nine large pastries
Ingredients:
20 ounces whole-milk ricotta (about 2 ½ cups)
4 ½ to 4 ¾ cup all-purpose flour, divided
2 eggs (plus 1 more for the final egg wash before baking)
¼ cup local honey
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
3 ¾ tsp kosher salt, divided
12 ounces warm water
4 Tbsp granulated sugar, divided
7 grams (2 ½ tsp) active dry yeast
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ½ tsp apple cider vinegar
Zest of 1 large lemon
¾ cup fresh blackberries, halved lengthwise
½ cup blackberry jam
Garnish: confectioner’s sugar or warm honey
1) In a glass bowl, stir together the ricotta, ½ cup of the flour, 2 eggs, honey, nutmeg and ¾ tsp of the kosher salt. Cover with plastic wrap and chill while making the dough.
2) In a small bowl, whisk together half the warm water, 1 Tbsp of granulated sugar and the yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 5 to 8 minutes.
3) In the bowl of a standing mixer with the dough hook, stir together 4 cups of the flour, the butter, the lemon zest and remaining 3 Tbsp of granulated sugar until fully combined. Add the yeast mixture and the vinegar and slowly add the remaining half of the warm water. Beat together until the dough is smooth and elastic and clears the side of the bowl. On wet days, you can add up to another ¼ cup of flour. Finally, beat in the 3 tsp salt.
4) Oil a large bowl, turn the dough into the bowl and roll to lightly cover the entire surface with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise to double in size (about 45 minutes).
5) Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line three baking sheet trays with parchment.
6) Punch down the dough, turn onto a lightly floured surface and divide into nine portions (time to use your baking scale – portions should be about 100 grams each). Let rest five minutes.
7) In another bowl, stir together the fresh blackberries and jam. Remove your ricotta filling from the refrigerator and prepare your egg wash (one egg and 1 Tbsp warm water).
8) One at a time, roll a portion of dough into a 10” by 4” oval. Spoon and spread about 1/3 cup ricotta filling in the center of the dough, leaving 1 ½” border around the edges.
9) Gently fold the right-hand corner of the oval over the bottom right-hand corner and press to secure. Fold the bottom left-hand corner of the oval up over the upper left-hand corner and press to secure. Repeat with the bottom right and top left corners, folding so the dough forms a boat-like shape with the filling still visible. Gently twist the ends and pull the boat to about 12” long as you lift it onto the parchment-lined tray. Repeat with the next two dough balls evenly spacing three pastries on the tray. Spoon about 1 Tbsp of the blackberry mixture on top of the exposed filling and egg wash the dough.
10) Bake the pastries roughly 15 minutes, until golden brown, rotating the tray halfway through. While the first tray is baking, form the next three boats and place on the second tray in preparation for baking. While the second tray bakes, prepare the third.
11) Let the pastries cool on the pan for 10 minutes and then remove to a wire rack. Serve warm dusted with confectionary’s sugar or drizzled with warm honey.
