Decadent Baked Cheese Spiral

By: Racheli Krut
Prep time: 30 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 3 1/2 cups flour, sifted
• 1 ounce fresh yeast or 2 teaspoons dry yeast
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Garlic Confit:

• 20-25 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 cup olive oil
• Optional: 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary or thyme leaves

Braised Tomatoes:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• About 40 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• Leaves from 3 sprigs of thyme

Cheese Filling:

• 5 ounces Tnuva Feta Cheese, crumbled
• 3.5 ounces Tnuva Feta Sheep’s Milk Cheese, grated
• 3.5 ounces Tnuva Edam Cheese, grated
• 3.5 ounces Tnuva Swiss Cheese, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 egg, beaten for brushing

Instructions

1. Prepare the dough: Put all the ingredients in a mixer bowl and knead with the dough hook at medium speed for about 10 minutes or until you have a smooth, elastic dough. Cover and let rise at room temperature for about an hour (or 12 hours in the fridge) until double in bulk.
2. Prepare the confit: Put the garlic, oil and thyme in a saucepan and cook over a low flame for about 30 minutes, until the garlic is very soft. Cool, and transfer to a jar. Keep sealed in the fridge.
3. Prepare the tomatoes: heat the olive oil in a skillet, then add the thyme and the tomatoes, cut side down. Braise over medium heat for 6-8 minutes until soft (Do not stir).
4. Prepare the cheese filling: Combine all ingredients, except pepper, in a medium bowl.
5. Assembly and baking: Preheat oven to 375°F and grease the pans. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and pat gently to remove any air bubbles. Cut in half. Roll out each piece into a 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Spread half the cheese filling, followed by half the garlic confit, and half the braised tomatoes. Sprinkle with pepper. Roll up tightly jelly-roll style, then slice lengthwise. Roll each half into a spiral and place both into the greased pan, cut side up. Repeat with the other rectangle. Brush with beaten egg and bake for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.