Kreatotourta (meat pie) from Chania

Start the preparation from the previous day. 

Boil the meat and when it cools, remove the fat and bones and cut into small pieces. Add salt, pepper and cinnamon, as much as you like and put it in the fridge.  

Keep one bowl of strained meat stock, for the dough and the filling. 

Prepare the staka, from which you remove the butter. 

Prepare the leaven. Using a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water and add a bit of flour so that you have a batter. Mix until all the ingredients are well integrated and leave it overnight to rise. You can make the dough without leaven but this way it has a special flavor. 

Prepare the dough, the following day. 

Dissolve the leaven in a bit of warm water. Add the butter, warm, the yogurt, the meat stock, salt, pepper and cinnamon. Mix and add yeast and flour until you have a pliable dough.

Separate the dough into two parts, one slightly larger than the other. Take the large piece, roll it out so that it fits your baking tray and place it in the buttered baking tray so that it also covers the sides. 

Add the filling. Spread half of the mizithra, staka and tyromalama, add finely chopped spearmint, pepper and cinnamon, layer the meat and in the same order, the rest of the cheeses. Add finely chopped spearmint, pepper and cinnamon once more. Pour 2-3 spoonfuls of meat stock in the filling so that it doesn't dry up. 

Roll out the rest of the dough, cover the filling and seal both the bottom and top dough together, braiding them.  

Take care that the dough doesn't stretch or has any cracks.

Cover the baking tray and place it in a hot place for at least  ½  an hour so that it rises. 

Before you bake, brush with the egg and sprinkle freely with sesame seeds. 

Bake at  200°C for  ½  at the bottom rack and for another hour at the second from last.