Kiflice – Soft Balkan Cheese-Filled Crescent Rolls
244kcal
Ingredients
Dough
- 4 1/6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour spooned and leveled; original uses German Type 550; weighing recommended
- 2 1/4 tsp dry yeast one standard 7 g packet at 1x; see yeast guidance
- 2 1/2 tsp granulated sugar weigh for the exact formula
- 1 1/2 tsp fine table salt not kosher salt by equal volume
- 8.45 fl oz whole milk for the dough; source uses 3.5% milkfat, US whole milk is commonly 3.25%
- 2.71 fl oz sunflower oil for the dough; do not replace with finishing butter
- 1 large egg for the dough; approximately 50 g without shell, matching the source’s medium egg
For rolling
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour measured allowance for the work surface; original uses Type 550
Cheese filling
- 8.82 oz feta cheese full-fat block, thoroughly drained before weighing, then finely mashed; not cottage cheese
- 1 large egg for the filling; approximately 50 g without shell
- 1.06 oz Schmand cultured cream with 24% milkfat, by weight; see ingredient guidance for sourcing
Egg wash and topping
- 1 large egg for the wash; approximately 50 g without shell
- 1 tbsp whole milk for the wash; source uses 3.5% milkfat
- 15 g sesame seeds by weight; part of this recipe’s topping
After baking
- 15 g unsalted butter melted, for brushing baked rolls
Equipment
- Kitchen scale for dough portions, drained feta, and small weight measures
- Small saucepan warm milk gently; melt finishing butter separately
- Mixing bowls keep the raw-egg filling separate and chilled
- Stand mixer optional, with dough hook; observe the manufacturer’s capacity
- Rolling Pin roll circles evenly
- Bench scraper for equal dough portions
- Pizza cutter or knife for cutting eight triangles from each circle
- Large baking sheets two US half-sheet pans for 1x; additional pans for larger yields
- Parchment paper rated for at least 375°F (190°C)
- Pastry brush wash thoroughly between raw-egg wash and cooked-roll finishing
- Food thermometer check the egg filling reaches at least 160°F (71°C)
- Kitchen towel and cooling rack 10-minute softening rest, then uncover for cooling
Method
- Warm the milk. Gently warm the dough milk to 95–100°F (35–38°C), not above 104°F (40°C). Put two-fifths of this milk into a small bowl and stir in the dry yeast and sugar. Leave for about 5 minutes; a large foam cap is not essential. Reserve the remaining milk for the dough.
- Mix and knead. Combine the dough flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture, remaining dough milk, sunflower oil, and dough egg. Mix until no dry flour remains, then knead for 8–10 minutes, until smooth, elastic, and soft, with slight tackiness. Do not add the separate rolling flour while kneading. Use separate mixer batches if the selected quantity exceeds your machine’s capacity.
- Let the dough rise. Round the dough, return it to the bowl, and cover. Leave at warm, draft-free room temperature for about 60 minutes, until close to doubled. Judge the expansion rather than forcing the dough to fit the clock.
- Mix the filling. During the first rise, mash the thoroughly drained feta finely with a fork. Mix in the filling egg and Schmand until thick and uniform. Do not add salt. Cover and refrigerate at 40°F (4°C) or below until needed. Do not taste the raw egg filling or dough.
- Prepare and divide. Line large baking sheets with parchment rated for the baking temperature. Keep the measured rolling flour separate for a light dusting only. Gently press out very large gas bubbles, then divide the dough into equal rounds of about 450 g (16 oz) each, keeping the same portion size when scaling. Each round will make eight rolls; cover the portions you are not working on.
- Roll and cut. Roll each round into an even circle about 12–12½ inches (30–32 cm) across and 3/16–¼ inch (5–6 mm) thick, using the measured dusting flour sparingly. Quarter the circle, then halve each quarter to make eight similar triangles. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds.
- Fill and shape. Distribute the filling evenly across the selected number of rolls, about 20–21 g (¾ oz) per triangle. Place it near the wide end, leaving a small border at the base and sides. Fold the side corners slightly inward over the filling, then roll from the wide edge toward the point without squeezing tightly. Place point-side down and bend gently into a crescent.
- Proof the rolls. Arrange on the prepared sheets with at least ¾ inch (2 cm) between rolls; use extra sheets rather than squeezing them together. Cover loosely and allow about 20 minutes, until visibly plumper. Preheat the conventional oven to 375°F (190°C), with a rack in the lower-middle position. For sequential batches, refrigerate later shaped trays, then allow them to complete their final proof before baking.
- Glaze and top. Whisk the separate wash egg with its measured milk. Gently brush the proofed rolls, distributing the wash across the full yield, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Keep wash refrigerated between batches and discard leftover wash; do not reuse it as a finishing glaze.
- Bake through. Bake one tray at a time for about 20–22 minutes, checking the color around 17 minutes. If the tops brown early, tent loosely with foil and continue baking. Look for golden tops, a fully baked underside, and set, fluffy dough without a wet seam beside the filling. The egg-containing filling should reach at least 160°F (71°C) in the center of a roll; check representative rolls with a food thermometer. Color alone does not prove the center is cooked. Repeat with the other trays.
- Butter and rest. Melt the finishing butter gently during the last baking minutes. Brush it thinly over the hot rolls, sharing the measured amount across all batches. Loosely cover each batch with a clean kitchen towel for about 10 minutes. Serve warm, or uncover and cool on a rack, then refrigerate promptly as directed in the notes.
Nutrition
Serving1finished cheese-filled rollCalories244kcalCarbohydrates27.14gProtein7.66gFat11.43gSodium418mg
Notes
Yield and scaling: 1x makes 16 rolls from 2 dough circles; 2x makes 32 rolls from 4 circles; 3x makes 48 rolls from 6 circles. Cut every circle into eight triangles. Keep circles 12–12½ inches wide and the filling about 20–21 g per roll. More dough means more comparable trays and batches, not bigger rolls.
Timing: Allow about 3 hours for two uncrowded US half-sheet trays baked sequentially. The 40-minute prep allowance covers measuring, kneading, rolling, filling, and glazing. Baking totals about 45 minutes for two 20–22-minute batches with a small handling allowance. Custom time includes 5-minute yeast activation, a 60-minute first rise, a 20-minute final proof, and a 10-minute towel rest after the last batch. Preheating, filling preparation, and butter melting can overlap other stages. Later trays may need additional time after refrigeration, and dough readiness takes priority over the estimate. One genuinely large tray that holds the whole yield with adequate spacing shortens the baking schedule; scaled quantities take longer.
Ingredient guidance: Weigh the flour and drained feta. The original flour is German Type 550; US all-purpose is a practical adaptation. Schmand is 24% cultured cream, not an identical product to ordinary US sour cream or crème fraîche. Seek it in the refrigerated dairy case of a European specialty grocer and verify the label before starting; reliable US stock has not been established. No cheese or Schmand substitution has been kitchen-tested here. US whole milk commonly has 3.25% fat rather than the source’s 3.5%, a disclosed small adaptation. Standard large US eggs are approximately 50 g without shell; keep dough, filling, and wash eggs separate. At larger scales, each egg line increases independently.
Conversions: Flour assumes 120 g/cup; fine table salt 6 g/tsp; sugar about 4 g/tsp; standard dry yeast 7 g per 2¼ tsp. Liquid ounces use 29.5735 ml. Volume measures and automatic fractional displays are rounded. Metric retains the source quantities, including the separate rolling flour, topping milk, sesame, and finishing butter.
Storage and ahead: Keep filling and egg wash refrigerated until needed, and minimize raw-egg handling time. After the short towel rest, uncover and cool on a rack; refrigerate in shallow containers within 2 hours of baking, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C). Keep at 40°F (4°C) or below and use within 2 days. Freeze baked rolls airtight for up to 2 months for quality; thaw in the refrigerator. Refresh at 340°F (170°C), starting with about 8 minutes, and reheat the center to 165°F (74°C), allowing more time as needed. For reliable make-ahead work, bake, chill, and reheat rather than assuming an untested overnight proof.
Nutrition: Estimated per 1 finished roll, using exact Metric amounts, USDA all-purpose flour, active dry yeast, sugar, table salt, whole milk (3.25%), sunflower oil, whole eggs, feta, sesame, and unsalted butter, plus the checked TUFFI 24% Schmand label (242 kcal/100 g). Milk uses USDA 244 g per US cup; oil uses 13.6 g per tablespoon. Assumes all rolling flour, egg wash, sesame, and butter are consumed, so actual intake may be lower. Feta brand, dairy fat, and leftovers affect the result; it is not a laboratory measurement. Contains wheat, milk, eggs, and sesame. Editorially reviewed, not kitchen-tested.