Tyropitakia Kourou
Τυροπιτάκια Κουρού·(tee-ro-pee-TAH-kya koo-ROO)
Proino & Dekatiano (The Morning Rhythms)
Thumbs press the yogurt-enriched dough flat, fold it over crumbled feta, and pinch the seams shut. Kourou—translating to dry or short—is a mid-century home cook’s shortcut for a weeknight bake that behaves like a savory biscuit requiring zero kneading. Forget the labor-intensive phyllo you see in restaurants and the mozzarella-stuffed abominations born in the diaspora. Load a half-sheet pan. Bake them until the crust shatters, pour a dark coffee, and eat them while they burn your fingers.
Ingredients
- full-fat plain Greek yogurt1 cup
- unsalted butter3/4 cup
- sunflower oil3/4 cup
- large egg1 large
- all-purpose flour3 3/4 cup
- baking powder4 tsp
- kosher salt1 tsp
- feta cheese9 oz
- Pecorino Romano1 cup
- large egg1 large
- black pepper1/4 tsp
- large egg yolk1 large
- white sesame seeds2 tbsp
Method
- 01
Emulsify the liquid base.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the yogurt, cooled melted butter, sunflower oil, and the first egg until the mixture emulsifies into a smooth, creamy liquid. Ensure the butter isn't hot, or it will curdle the yogurt.
- 02
Hydrate the flour gently.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl, then pour into the wet emulsion. Using your hands, gently fold the mixture together and stop touching it the precise second the flour disappears.
- 03
Rest the dough.
Cover the bowl with a towel and let it sit on the counter for 20 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate and the fats to firm up.
- 04
Mash the canonical filling.
While the dough rests, use a fork to mash the crumbled feta, grated Pecorino Romano, the second egg, and the black pepper together until it forms a cohesive, chunky paste.
- 05
Portion and flatten the pastry.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Pinch off pieces of dough the size of a golf ball, roll them briefly between your palms, then flatten them on your kitchen counter to a 1/4-inch thickness.
- 06
Fill and crimp the half-moons.
Place a heaped teaspoon of the cheese filling in the center of each circle, fold the top half over to meet the bottom edge, and press down firmly along the curve with the tines of a fork to seal.
- 07
Glaze and bake.
Transfer the pies to the baking sheets, brush the tops generously with the egg yolk wash, and heavily sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until deeply golden brown, rotating the pans halfway through.
- 08
Allow the crust to set.
Remove from the oven and let rest on the tray for at least 15 minutes. They will feel incredibly fragile and soft at first, but the crust will harden into its famous, crumbly texture as the butter matrix cools.
Notes
Sourcing the Feta.
Always buy a solid block of feta submerged in brine; the pre-crumbled feta sold in American supermarkets is coated in cellulose and will refuse to melt or bind correctly with the egg.
Do Not Knead.
Treat this dough with the utmost disrespect; if you knead it like bread, you will activate the gluten and the oils will separate from the dough, leaving you with a tough, greasy rock.
The Cooling Rule.
Do not panic when you pull these from the oven and they feel alarmingly soft to the touch. This is the defining characteristic of a short kourou dough—it requires cooling to shatter.
From Cook Greek in America.