Russian ‘presnukha’: A rustic rye galette with cottage cheese (RECIPE)

Rural life has always been different from city living; not only in everyday life, but also in culinary traditions. I realized this when I heard my friend talking about her childhood in the countryside with her grandmother. She told me about her favorite treat during summer vacation in the Tver Region, and I couldn't resist trying to make it.

I am referring to "presnukha," a rye flatbread with a filling. As I began to study the matter, I learned that it’s a folk recipe in the local villages. Presnukha comes from the word “unleavened” (presny in Russian), because the dough is not rich and does not have yeast.

The summer version of presnukha is made with berries: currants, cherries, and blueberries. A more universal one is made with cottage cheese.

Traditionally, wheat flour was used for special occasions and holidays. Presnukha is a very simple dish for every day. Rye flour mixed with heavy sour cream is indispensable for this dish. But homemade rustic dairy products, cottage cheese and sour cream make this pie so special. 

My friend told the story about how one day she woke up in the morning to the aroma of baked dough with a sort of fireplace smoke in the air. It turned out that her grandmother had made a hot galette with the sweet curd in the wood-burning stove, and then served it with milk.

I tried to adhere to the original ingredients, but rye flour is not available everywhere, and it is not a common ingredient in modern sweet baked goods. So, my version uses bran, which gave the pie an even stronger rustic vibe. To give the pie a winter flair and offset the specific rye flavor, I used a speculaas spice mix. 

Some presnuchas are made as galettes simply on a baking tray. I used an aluminum mold to make sure the cottage cheese filling didn't spill out. I also added a couple of spoonfuls of starch to thicken it.

Because of the fat sour cream and wholemeal flour, the base turned out like shortbread dough, crumbly and crispy, but tender. In contrast, the delicate, juicy sweet filling just melts in your mouth. 

Ingredients (for 6-8 servings):

Dough:

• Rye flour (with bran) - 150 g
• Sour cream (30%) - 80 g
• Egg - 1 piece
• Sugar - 2 tbsps
• Salt - pinch
• Soda - 1/2 tbsp
• Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, anise - 1,5-2 tsps

Filling:

• Cottage cheese - 300 g
• Sugar - 4 tbsps
• Egg yolk - 1
• Corn starch - 2 tbsps
• Salt - pinch

Preparation:

1. Combine all the ingredients for the dough and knead the mass quickly.

2. Roll it into a ball and leave to rest under the foil for about half an hour.

3. Rub the cottage cheese through a sieve. 

4. Add egg yolk.

5. Add sugar, salt and starch and mix everything.

6. Grease a cake pan (16-18 cm) with butter.

7. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin.

8. Place it in the mold.

9. Pour the filling and line the edges. Bake in a preheated 190°C oven for 50 minutes.

10. Serve presnukha hot or cooled with milk.

11. Enjoy it with milk, kissel or herbal tea!

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