Cheese Basbousa with Honey

Cheese Basbousa with Honey

This recipe is cheese basbousa with honey, or Snioura, filled with Kashkaval or mozzarella cheese. Its dough is made with flour, milk, water, oil, salt, eggs, sugar, butter, and yeast; it is left to rise, then divided, filled, and shaped. Mayonnaise, black olives, and sesame are used in the Snioura version. Baking starts in a preheated oven with bottom heat, then top heat for browning, and honey is optional when serving.

A syrup-soaked semolina cake with cheese and honey.

Like a sweet syrup cake or pudding cake.

Serve after cooling so the syrup can soak in.

Ingredients

  • 1 kg or 7.5 cups Flour
  • 1 cup 200 ml Milk
  • 1 cup 200 ml Water
  • 1 cup 200 ml Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 2 Eggs
  • 2 tablespoons Sugar
  • 1.5 tablespoons Butter
  • 1.5 tablespoons Instant yeast
  • Kashkaval or mozzarella cheese
  • Mayonnaise
  • Black olives
  • Sesame seeds
  • 1 egg Egg for brushing
  • optional Honey
  • for sprinkling Fine semolina

Instructions

  1. In a pot or bowl, mix the water with the milk, yeast, and sugar, and leave until the yeast activates.
  2. In the same bowl or a mixing bowl, add the oil, eggs, salt, and flour, then knead the dough until it comes together.
  3. In the same mixing bowl, add the butter at the end of kneading until the dough absorbs it.
  4. In the mixing bowl, leave the dough covered for 5 minutes, then brush it with a light coating of oil.
  5. On the work surface, divide the dough into pieces weighing approximately 60 g each.
  6. On the work surface, sprinkle a piece with a little fine semolina, then roll it out into an oval shape.
  7. Place the cheese inside the rolled-out dough, then seal it well, pressing the edges so it does not open in the oven.
  8. On the work surface, turn the piece over to the other side and make the pattern with your fingers as explained by the chef.
  9. On a baking tray, lightly oil the tray if not using parchment paper, then arrange the pieces on it.
  10. In a preheated oven, bake the pastries at approximately 225°C with bottom heat first.
  11. In the oven, after they are cooked underneath, move them to the top heat until the surface turns golden.
  12. To prepare Snioura, roll out a piece of dough into an oval on the work surface.
  13. On the work surface, spread mayonnaise over the surface.
  14. On the work surface, place the cheese over the mayonnaise.
  15. On the work surface, close the dough over the cheese, then turn it over to give it its final shape.
  16. On the work surface, add black olives over the surface.
  17. On the work surface, brush the surface with egg.
  18. On the work surface, sprinkle sesame seeds over the surface.
  19. On the work surface, add honey if desired.
  20. On a baking tray, arrange the pieces, then bake until cooked through and browned.

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