Placinta cu Branza
A Romanian cheese pie of thin pastry filled with salty cheese, egg and dill and baked until crisp, in 1 hour 15 minutes.
Photograph credit: Plăcintă creață cu brânză iute de oaie, Luminișu, Sălaj by Mr mircear · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · this resized copy is shared under the same licence
The Method for Placinta cu Branza
Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.
-
Mix the flour, 5 tablespoons of oil, water and salt and knead for 5 minutes. Rest for 20 minutes.
-
Heat the oven to 190°C / 375°F. Mix the cheese, eggs, soured cream, dill and pepper.
-
Roll the dough very thin into a rectangle. Spread the filling along one long side and roll up.
-
Coil the roll into a spiral on a lined tray and brush with the oil.
-
Bake for 40 minutes until deep gold. Cut into squares.
Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.
Something wrong or unclear in this recipe? Report a problem with this recipe.
What Can Go Wrong
- Taste the filling before adding salt.
- Roll the dough very thin.
- Serve warm or cold.
Good to Know About Placinta cu Branza
Go lightly on the salt. That is the quick tip for plăcintă cu brânză, the Romanian cheese pie, because the cheese is salty already. The filling is made from a fresh sheep or cow cheese, such as feta or telemea, mixed with an egg, dill and a little soured cream, and baked in a thin, crisp pastry.
The dough is a simple oil and water dough, or you can use bought sheets of phyllo. If you make it yourself, knead for 5 minutes, rest for 20 minutes, and roll it very thin. Crumble the cheese and mix it with eggs, soured cream, chopped dill and pepper. Taste the mixture before baking, and add salt only if the cheese is mild. Spread it over the pastry.
Fold the pastry over the filling in a long roll, or in squares, and brush with oil. Bake at 190°C / 375°F for 40 minutes, until deep gold and crisp. Cut into squares while still warm. The pie is good hot, or cold the next day in a lunchbox, and it is served with yoghurt or soured cream and pickled peppers. A light salad of cucumber goes well.
On the Table Alongside
Yoghurt · Pickled peppers · Cucumber salad
Leftovers
Keeps for 3 days in the fridge. Reheat in the oven.
Common Questions
How long does Placinta cu Branza take to make?
35 minutes of preparation and 40 minutes of cooking, plus 20 minutes of resting, so allow 1 hour 35 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 8.
Placinta cu Branza Nutrition
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
Cooked this? Keep a note for next time
Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.
First published ; last changed .
You Might Also Like
More Romanian cooking and baking ideas from Weekly Delight.
Banitsa
A Bulgarian pie of crisp filo layers wrapped around a filling of eggs, feta and yoghurt, baked until golden.
Cheese and Onion Pasty
Shortcrust pastry parcels filled with grated cheddar, potato and onion, baked until golden. Makes 4 in 1 hour.
Placinta
A Romanian folded pie of thin pastry filled with grated apple, sugar and cinnamon, baked for 40 minutes until golden.
Sfogliatelle
A shortcut version of the shell-shaped Italian pastries: puff pastry cones filled with orange-scented ricotta and…
Jamaican Bun and Cheese
A dense, dark Easter spice bun of molasses, raisins and mixed spice, sliced and eaten with a wedge of processed…
Rugelach
Little crescent pastries made from a tender cream cheese dough, rolled around apricot jam, cinnamon sugar, walnuts…