What looks like a beautiful boat with a gem and tastes like a bite of heaven. EKMAK.

This bread was brought to the Babes kitchen table by Karen’s Kitchen Stories! It is lovely in every way. I know I will be baking it again because there are obviously so many jam/preserve flavor gems to play around with on this one. Karen has great photos of how to shape these – it is super easy. Perfect for Christmas, New Years Eve, New Years morning breakfast BUT equally special any day with morning coffee, afternoon tea, dessert after dinner … maybe this could be dinner, I mean there’s cheese.

CHEESE FILLING:

20 ounces (567 grams) full fat ricotta cheese, preferably double cream. 

63 grams (1/2 cup) all purpose flour

2 large eggs

28 grams (4 teaspoons) honey

3/4 teaspoons (2.25 grams) kosher salt

FRUIT TOPPING:

115 grams (3/4 cup) fresh blackberries, cut in half, lengthwise

112 grams (1/3 cup) blackberry preserves

DOUGH:

4 tablespoons brown sugar, divided

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast

12 ounces warm water (95 to 100 degrees F), divided

105 grams all purpose flour

470 grams white whole wheat

1/4 cup (57 grams) butter, room temperature (super soft)

1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

9 grams (1 tablespoon) kosher salt

EGG WASH:

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon water

GARNISH:

Confectioner’s sugar

Honey for serving

CHEESE FILLING:

First, mix the cheese filling ingredients thoroughly. Refrigerate at least three hours, while you are making the dough. Or mix the night before.

FRUIT FILLING:

Mix the ingredients and set aside.

EKMAK Dough:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the yeast and one tablespoon of the sugar. Add 6 ounces of the warm water and let sit until foamy. 

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add 500 grams of the flour, the remaining 3 tablespoons of the sugar, and the butter and mix with the dough hook on low until the butter is evenly distributed, about a minute. Pour in the yeast mixture and the apple cider vinegar and mix on low while gradually adding the remaining 6 ounces of warm water. 

3. Knead on medium-low until the dough comes together. Switch to medium and knead until the dough clears the sides of the bowl and is tacky but not sticky. Add remaining flour, by tablespoons, until the dough is the right consistency – smooth & silky. 

4. Add the salt and knead for an additional minute on medium speed. 

5. Turn the dough out onto your counter and form it into a ball. 

6. Place it into an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes to an hour. 

7. Heat your oven to 420° F with a rack in the upper third of the oven. 

8. Line three baking sheets with parchment and lightly sprinkle each with flour. 

9. Deflate the risen dough and let rest for 10 minutes. 

10. Divide the dough into 9 pieces (I divided into 10 pieces because 12 inches just sounded huge to me. 10 pieces were still plenty large) and cover the pieces with oiled plastic wrap. (I covered mine with extra cookie sheets.) Let rest for 15 minutes. We went for a walk and this got extended to 40 minutes.

11. Roll each piece into a round and place each onto a lightly floured work surface. Cover with oiled plastic wrap (cookie sheets) and let rest for 10 minutes. 

12. Stretch each ball into a 6 inch round, re-cover, and let rest for 10 minutes. 

13. Stretch each round into a 10 inch by 4 inch oval (mine slightly smaller) and spoon 1/3 cup of the cheese filling onto the dough. 

14. Fold the dough as pictured to create “boats” and stretch the dough to about 10 inches long. Place the “boats” on the parchment lined baking sheets, 4 per sheet. Really pinch the boat ends tightly. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. 

15. Spoon a tablespoon of the blackberry (I did 4 raspberry and 6 cherry) mixture in the middle of the cheese mixture. Brush the dough with the egg wash. 

16. Bake the ekmak for 17 minutes – mine took 2 extra minutes because I used 470 grams white whole wheat flour – one sheet at a time, turning the baking sheet half way through. 

17. Let cool on the pan for 10 minutes on a rack.

18. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm with honey. 

Refrigerate leftovers and REHEAT in a 325 degree oven for about 5 to 10 minutes. 

Tip: Work with dough in stages so that you can prepare three ekmak at a time and continue to shape, fill, let rise, and bake, in stages. I worked in 5 minute intervals so that each 3rd of dough was about 5 minutes behind.

Sorry to be so fast with this but my batteries are low on the iPad and the phone (& the hotspot for internet). We are without electricity this morning.

Bake this please. I know you won’t regret it! Let us know: Karen has the details on her site.

These are not overly sweet … it only now occurs to me, these could so easily be savory! Above I said these could be dinner what with the cheese. I’m thinking instead of jam there could be … sail with your imagination! Go for it!