How to bake Ingush ‘Betta-mazharg’ buns with cheese and cinnamon (RECIPE)

Betta-mazharg has been a traditional dish on the table of the Ingush people in the North Caucasus region since ancient times, and it was especially popular to make on holidays and in winter.

What’s the story behind this unusual name? Considering that betta means “lunar” in the Ingush language, betta-mazharg can be taken to mean “moon slice”. Indeed, these pastries really look like a full moon with irregularities on the surface that are due to the filling.

Betta-mazharg is a flour-based pastry. With its round shape and open light filling in the center, it resembles the cottage cheese pastry called vatrushki. However, the stuffing used in betta-mazharg is quite unusual for the entire region — with a mixture of cinnamon and hard cheese. There are different ways of arranging the filling. Cinnamon can be sprinkled on the dough and then topped with cheese, or vice versa. Sometimes poppy seeds are used instead of cinnamon.

Betta-mazharg is made from yeast dough. Since it’s denser than regular yeast dough, it remains quite pliable and can be rolled out and then cut into pieces to make round buns.

The combination of the salty cheese and the spice, familiar in sweet desserts, creates an original taste. It can be used to accompany sweet dishes, a cheese plate, or as a stand-alone appetizer.

In Ingushetia, betta-mazharg is often served with tea made from thyme and St. John's wort, both of which grow in the region. But they are also delicious with regular tea and coffee.

You can bake these buns quite quickly. By the time the tea is brewing, they will nearly be ready. 

Ingredients for 9-10 pieces:

Dough:

• Flour - 200 g
• Milk - 100 ml
• Melted butter - 20 g
• Dry yeast - 1 tsp (3.5 g)
• Sugar - 1 tbsp
• Salt - 1/2 tsp

Filling:

• Hard cheese - 100-150 g
• Cinnamon - 1 tsp
• Yolk for greasing - 1 pc 

Preparation: 

1. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm milk.

2. Add melted butter.

3. Add flour and salt.

4. Knead into a firm, dense dough.

5. Allow to rise for 1 hour in a warm place.

6. Roll out the dough, and divide the dough into rounds.

7. Let the pieces rise under a towel for about 10-15 minutes.

8. Mix some of the egg yolk with the grated cheese, which will help to distribute the filling more neatly.

9. For convenience, make a depression to fill in the center of each dough circle by using a small glass to make the form.

10. Place the cinnamon in the center of the circle.

11. Place the cheese, and brush the edges with egg yolk.

12. Bake for about 15 minutes at 180℃ in a preheated oven.

13. Serve immediately with tea. 

READ MORE: Baking like a babushka: How to make an iconic cottage cheese pastry

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