Baker, blogger, and recipe developer Keren Agam grew up in a Bulgarian home, where pashtidot played a key role in the family’s daily menu throughout the year, not just on Shavuot. Today, her children also love pashtidot and quiches, which challenges her to consistently come up with new variations.
The inspiration for this one comes from a Greek pastry with a crispy sesame seed base. In Agam’s version, the bottom is coated in breadcrumbs and the tart zucchini, yogurt, and feta filling is topped with a layer of sesame seeds, making every bite crispy on the outside and silky tender on the inside.
Try more pashtida recipes like Adeena Sussman’s challah-crusted one and another with a puff pastry crust from Yael Dabby.
Ingredients
3 large eggs
350 grams (12 oz) feta/Bulgarian cheese, crumbled
300 grams (10½ oz) 4.5% fat yogurt
150 grams (5 ⅓ oz) gruyere, grated (can be substituted with kashkaval or Parmesan)
2 large unpeeled zucchinis, washed and grated
115 grams (¾ cup + 1 heaping tablespoon) all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
½ cup unroasted sesame seeds
For greasing and flouring the pan:
A knob of soft butter
⅓ cup breadcrumbs
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 170C/ 325F and generously grease the bottom and sides of the pie tin or baking pan with soft butter. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs into the pan and gently shake and tilt it until the bottom is evenly covered.
- Beat the eggs in a bowl, add the feta and yogurt and mix well. Add the grated gruyere and zucchini, season with salt and black pepper and mix.
- Mix the flour and baking powder in a separate bowl and add to the egg and cheese mixture. Mix just until combined.
- Pour the mixture into the pan, sprinkle the sesame seeds to cover and bake until golden- brown, 40-45 minutes.
