Juicy, tasty and very satisfying achma clearly does not belong to the category of dietary dishes, but its aroma and appetizing appearance are difficult to resist. These baked goods require some work and some dexterity, but the result is worth it. Make a cheesecake based on an authentic Georgian achma recipe.
Achma: preparation of the base and filling
Ingredients:
For the basics:
- 1 kg of flour;
- 1 tbsp. cold water;
- 4 chicken eggs;
- 1 tsp salt;
For filling:
- 800 g of suluguni;
- 400 g feta cheese;
- 50 g butter;
- 200 g of 20% sour cream;
- salt;
For the sauce:
- 2 chicken eggs;
- 100 g of 20% sour cream;
- 1/3 tsp salt.
Pour water into a deep bowl, break eggs and add a pinch of salt. Beat everything with a whisk or mixer until smooth and airy. Sift 850 g of flour several times and create a slide out of it on the table. Press it down with the palm of your hand, forming a fairly large depression, and gently pour in the egg mixture. Stir in the flour, gently picking it up from all edges and pouring it into the liquid mixture. Knead an elastic, soft dough, form a lump, cover it with cling film, then with a towel and leave to rest.
There must be more than one type of cheese in the achma, otherwise the filling may turn out to be too tough. Use feta cheese, mozzarella, feta or crumbly cottage cheese to mix with suluguni.
Grate the cheeses on a coarse grater and combine them in one bowl. Season them with sour cream, melted butter and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Stir the filling well to distribute all the ingredients evenly. Make the sauce by mixing eggs with sour cream and salt in a blender or mixer.
Achma: shaping and baking
Ingredients:
- 4-5 liters of water;
- 250 g butter;
- 1 tbsp. salt;
- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil.
Hump the dough, roll it into a sausage and cut into 9 pieces, one of which is slightly larger than the rest. Roll each of 8 equal pieces into a very thin flat cake. Pour 2-3 liters of water into a saucepan, preferably a wide one, salt and put on high heat. Place a basin with the remaining cold water next to the stove and spread a clean towel. While the water in the pan is heating, grease a rectangular shape with vegetable oil, put one layer of dough in it. Melt all the butter and spread with 1, 5-2 tablespoons on the first layer of the pie. Spread a small portion of the filling on top.
Don't worry if the boiled dough breaks. The main thing is that the lower and upper layers of the achma remain intact. If the filling is not enough for all layers, just grease them generously with butter.
Take the dough cake with both hands and dip it in boiling water. Hold it for 15-20 seconds, pull it out with two wide paddles and immediately place it in a basin of cold water for 20-30 seconds. After that, transfer it to a towel, dry it slightly and put it in a second layer on the cheese. Cover this layer with a portion of butter and filling. Repeat the steps in this paragraph for 6 more lozenges.
Preheat oven to 180oC. Finish forming the achma with cheese with the remaining largest sheet of dough. Use a blunt knife to push the edges down to the very bottom of the mold. Pour the sour cream sauce over the pie, cut it raw into 8 servings and bake for 45-55 minutes or until browned.
