Shanga - a bun of the Russian North
Today we're talking about a true northern dish—shan'gi. Some call them buns, others call them pies. Shan'gi are made from both yeast and unleavened dough, with sweet or savory fillings.
Our reader from Ukhta, Komi Republic, Galina, tells NeMoskva how to properly prepare shangi with cottage cheese and cheese from yeast dough.
Ingredients for cooking: milk, sugar, yeast, egg, salt, butter, flour, cottage cheese, hard cheese, sour cream.
Dough: Pour half a glass of warm milk into a bowl, add yeast (10 grams of pressed or 4 grams of dry), half a teaspoon of sugar, and stir until completely dissolved. Add 3-4 tablespoons of flour and stir until the mixture reaches the consistency of thick sour cream. Cover the bowl with a cloth towel and let it rise for half an hour.
1. While the dough is rising, you can prepare the pastry. To do this, mix 1 egg, 2 teaspoons of sugar, and about 40-50 grams of butter and add to the dough. The dough should be fluffy and porous. Then add the flour (you may need about 2 cups), but do this gradually to ensure a very soft and fluffy dough. Knead the dough. Then transfer it from the bowl to the counter and knead for about 10 minutes until it becomes elastic and smooth. Then return the dough to the greased bowl and let it rest for 40 minutes.
2. Place the dough on the table, form it into a rope, divide it into 10 pieces, and shape them into 50-gram rounds. Brush the tops with vegetable oil, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for about 10 minutes—this will allow the dough to rise and roll out more easily.
3. While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. Mash 250 grams of full-fat cottage cheese with a fork, grate 100 grams of hard cheese into it, add a pinch of salt and 1 egg, and mix until smooth. You can add herbs if desired. Form the filling into 10 circles slightly smaller than the dough. First, press the dough circle with your fingers, then lightly roll it out to a thickness of about half a centimeter and smooth the edges. Place the resulting flatbreads on a parchment-lined pan.
4. Spread the filling on the flatbreads, smoothing it out with a spoon, almost to the very edge. Cover again with plastic wrap and let rise for 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the shangi topping mixture, which consists of two ingredients: a tablespoon of heavy cream and one egg. Spread the mixture over the shangi, paying particular attention to the cottage cheese to ensure a juicier filling. Bake the buns for about 20 minutes at 190 degrees Celsius (1 degrees Fahrenheit). Once the shangi are baked, brush them (only the dough) with softened butter.
