Chureck (bread) Stuffed with Cheese & Zaatar

Chureck is an Iraqi bread stuffed with cheese or dates, traditionally Chureck is made into a circle shape about 12 inches round and it is usually done by having the dough cut into a small individual wrap. I Have changed the recipe a little bit for convenience and faster in making. I took the whole dough and stuffed it with the cheese rather than doing it individually, I added more ingredients for better tasting and added zaatar on top of the bread to give it a more tangy and zesty flavor. Chureck Makes an excellent breakfast-to-go idea, and also could be eaten as a snack with mint and Iraqi tea or any of your favored drinks. It can be used as finger food and makes a good dish for small gatherings or parties with no need for utensils. I like to use the Ricotta cheese because it’s creamy and has a slightly sweet flavor and can be mixed well with the other ingredients, then I like to add the Mozzarella cheese because it can melt easily, have a rich flavor, and is creamier than other cheeses.

Ingredient for the dough

6 cups white flour

1 cup wheat flour

2 tablespoon salts

5 tablespoon olive oil

3 ½ cups of warm water

3 ½ tablespoon yeasts

1 tablespoon sugar

1 egg

½ cup zaatar

Ingredient for the stuffing

3 cups ricotta cheese

2 cups Mozzarella cheese

1 cup celery chopped

1 cup green onion chopped

1 cup cilantro chopped

1 cup celery chopped

Salt as preferred

1 tablespoon black pepper

Instruction for the dough

In a bowl with one cup of warm water add the yeasts and the sugar and leave it for 3 to 4 minutes to rise.

In another bowl add the white flour, wheat flour, salt, olive oil, 2 ½ cups of warm water, and the yeast mix, then mix well and knead the dough for about 10 minutes on a well-floured surface. In the bottom of the bowl add ½ tablespoon of olive oil then add the knead dough on top, cover and let it rest for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Instruction for filling

In a bowl add the ricotta cheese, green onion, cilantro, celery, salt, and black pepper mix well.

Flat the dough on a well-floured surface and roll the dough into a circle shape about 18 inches around, then add and spread out the filling ingredients to the flat dough. Start to roll the dough with the filling into a cylindrical shape and put it on a greased baking sheet and cover and let the dough rise for about 30 minutes then in a small bowl crack the egg and mix well then glaze your dough with the egg wash then add the zaatar on the top of the dough. Bake in a heated oven of 400 degrees for about 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.