Soft yeast pies from Romania’s Codru region, filled with brânză de burduf and dill, folded thin and cooked in a lightly oiled skillet.
Plăcinte codrenești cu brânzăSoft yeast dough is filled with salty Romanian brânză de burduf and dill, folded into thin pies and cooked in a lightly oiled skillet.
Plăcinte codrenești cu brânză are savory filled pies associated with Țara Codrului, the Codru region in northern Transylvania. The Romanian name stays in the title because a generic translation such as “cheese pie” would hide the regional identity and could suggest an oven-baked pastry. This version follows a documented cheese-and-dill preparation: yeast dough is made with warm water and oil, rolled thin, filled with crumbled brânză de burduf and chopped dill, folded closed and cooked in a lightly oiled cast-iron skillet. The result is soft and pliable, with golden patches from the pan.
Codrenești pies appear in more than one filling and cooking style. The selected regional recipe records cheese with dill and describes cooking on a carved stone slab in the past and a cast-iron pan in the contemporary preparation. Other sources describe potato, apple, pumpkin, or different cheese combinations. Those variations belong to the broader family of Codru pies, but they are not combined here. Keeping this record to cheese and dill preserves the chosen source formula instead of turning a local name into one supposedly universal recipe.
The dough begins with a small sponge made from part of the flour and water, plus dried yeast and a level spoonful of sugar. Give it the source’s 30 minutes to become visibly active. The remaining flour, salt, water and oil then go in after the sponge has risen. Knead until the dough feels elastic rather than crumbly. It should gather into one smooth mass and stretch without immediately tearing. Cover it for about an hour; the dough should look fuller and feel relaxed when pressed lightly. Room temperature can change how quickly it rises, so use the visual cue as well as the clock.
Brânză de burduf is a Romanian sheep-milk cheese with a crumbly, salty character. The recipe uses it with fresh dill, not a mild unsalted filling. Crumble the cheese and chop the dill finely so the filling can be portioned without large pieces pushing through the dough. The source gives two bunches of dill and 200 g of cheese. It does not season the filling further, and the cheese itself can be quite salty. Taste the cheese before making the pies; the source formula does not call for extra salt in the filling.
The source asks for portions of dough rolled to 3–5 mm and about two tablespoons of filling in each. This production record estimates a yield of eight large pies so the 200 g of cheese-and-dill mixture can be divided evenly. That yield and the resulting roughly 25 g filling allocation per pie are practical editorial estimates, not a source count. Place the filling in the center, gather the edges into small pleats and pinch them closed. Turn the seam down and flatten gently so the pie cooks evenly without breaking open.
Use a hot skillet with a thin coating of oil. The regional cross-check is explicit that the pies are not deep-fried in a bath. Cook a pie for a few minutes on each side, turning once the underside has browned in spots. Moderate heat gives the center time to cook before the surface becomes too dark. If the first side browns quickly, lower the heat for the next batch. The source does not set an exact pan time, so the written 30-minute batch estimate is a planning guide for eight pies, while the browned surface and cooked dough are the actual cues.
When each pie comes out of the skillet, stack it on a plate and cover the pile with a clean towel, as the source directs. This keeps the soft pies warm while the remaining portions cook. Serve them warm, plain, so the cheese and dill remain the focus. The source recipe does not require sour cream, garlic, or another topping; those are not added to this version. The folded layers should remain tender rather than flaky, and the filling should stay inside the sealed edges.
The recipe makes eight pies as an editorial estimate. Preparation time includes the 30-minute starter rest and the one-hour dough rise; the cheese filling can be prepared during that second rise. Cooking time is estimated for several skillet batches. For leftovers, follow current food-safety guidance: refrigerate within 2 hours, use within 3–4 days, and reheat until the center reaches 74 °C / 165 °F. Warm them in a covered skillet over low heat, turning as needed; a small splash of water can soften the surface, but avoid adding enough to make the dough wet.
Stir the dried yeast and level tablespoon of sugar into 100 ml warm water. Mix in 100 g of the flour until loose and smooth. Cover the bowl and leave it for 30 minutes, until the surface looks active and lightly foamy. The water should feel warm rather than hot. Keep the remaining flour, water, salt and oil aside for the next step.
Add the remaining 900 g flour and the salt to the risen sponge. Pour in the remaining 300 ml warm water and the four tablespoons of oil in that order. Mix, then knead until the dough feels elastic and no dry flour remains. Cover and leave it to rise for about 1 hour. It should look puffy and relaxed; the exact rise depends on room warmth. Prepare the filling while it rests.
Crumble the brânză de burduf into a bowl and finely chop the dill. Fold them together until the green dill is evenly distributed. The cheese is already salty, so do not add salt to the filling. Set it aside while the dough finishes rising.
Divide the risen dough into 8 equal portions. Roll one portion at a time to a thin 3–5 mm round. Add about 2 tablespoons of cheese-and-dill filling to the center, gather the edges into small pleats and pinch them closed. Turn the seam down, then gently roll or press the pie to a broad, even thickness that fits the skillet without exposing the filling.
Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat and wipe in a thin film of oil; the pies should pan-cook, not float in deep oil. Set in one pie and cook for a few minutes, then turn it. Continue until both sides have scattered golden-brown patches and the dough is cooked through. Adjust the heat if the surface darkens before the center cooks. Add another light film of oil between batches only if the pan looks dry.
Transfer each cooked pie to a plate and stack them loosely under a clean kitchen towel to keep them soft while the remaining pies cook. Serve warm. Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours. The finished pies should be tender and pliable inside, with browned spots outside rather than a crisp deep-fried crust.
Use warm water that does not feel hot to the touch; very hot water can interfere with the yeast.
Crumble the cheese and chop the dill finely so the filling sits inside the pleated seam.
These pies cook in a lightly oiled pan, not a deep-frying bath.
If the outside browns before the dough cooks through, lower the heat.
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| Original ingredient | Practical substitute | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| The selected source specifies this Romanian sheep-milk cheese. A different cheese changes the salt, moisture and regional character; no replacement is asserted as equivalent. |
Cool the cooked pies promptly and reheat them until hot throughout.
Place in a covered container and refrigerate within 2 hours. Use within 3–4 days.
Warm in a covered skillet over low heat, turning as needed, until the center reaches 74 °C / 165 °F. Check with a food thermometer.
They are filled pies associated with the Codru region. Documented versions vary; this recipe follows a savory cheese-and-dill version cooked in a skillet.
It is a Romanian sheep-milk cheese with a salty, crumbly texture. The cheese is kept by the source recipe rather than replaced with a generic mild cheese.
This source-based version is cooked in a lightly oiled skillet. Baking would change the method and surface, so it is not presented as an equivalent option.
Refrigerate within 2 hours and use within 3–4 days. Reheat until the center reaches 74 °C / 165 °F, checking with a food thermometer.
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