SYRIAN CHEESE PIES

SERVES 16-24 DEPENDING ON SIZE

INGREDIENTS For the dough: 350g plain flour 7g sachet instant yeast 2tsp granulated sugar ½tsp salt 200ml lukewarm milk or water 75ml olive oil, plus extra for oiling and brushing For the filling: 3 courgettes, coarsely grated 200g feta, drained and crumbled 1tbsp sumac A small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped 1 egg, beaten Salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD:

1. Mix together the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the milk or water and olive oil. Knead by hand or in a free-standing mixer fitted with a dough hook until the dough is soft and no longer sticky. Coat a bowl with a little olive oil, form the dough into a neat ball and place in the bowl. Cover with lightly greased cling film and leave to rise somewhere warm until it doubles in size, about 20 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C/Gas 6.

3. Place the grated courgettes in a colander to drain over a sink. When you are ready to make the filling, squeeze them with a clean tea towel to remove as much moisture as possible. Add the squeezed courgette to a bowl with the other filling ingredients and mix gently to combine.

4. Form the dough into 16 balls (or 24 smaller balls) and roll each ball into a long oval shape about 5mm thick. Place around one to two tablespoons of filling in the centre of each oval.

5. Fold one long edge a little bit over the filling, forming a frame for it but leaving some filling exposed. Press down to seal at each end of the folded edge. Do the same on the other side, forming a petal or boat shape. Pinch the edges well to seal.

6. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces and place them on lightly oiled baking sheets. (You need to work quickly as the dough will continue to rise and the pies may open, so you may want to bake one tray while finishing the second tray.)

7. Brush the edges with olive oil, then bake for about 15 minutes until the dough has turned golden brown and the cheese mixture has melted. Serve warm or at room temperature.