Sfakianopita from Sfakia, Crete (Σφακιανόπιτα)

Sfakianopita belongs to Sfakia, the hard mountain country of southwestern Crete, and it is not a fluffy pancake or a little cheese parcel. It is a thin griddle pie, dough wrapped around soft myzithra and rolled so fine that the cheese nearly shows through the skin. Then comes thyme honey, because Crete knows when to stop.

The whole dish rests on the rolling. Rest the dough first, drain the cheese well, and press slowly from the center outward. If the dough fights you, wait. If the cheese is wet, it will make a slippery mess. When it is right, the pie cooks into a freckled, tender round with a faint tang inside and honey shining over the top.

I don't invent it. I find it, I test it, I write it down. This one needs few things, and good ones: fresh Cretan cheese if you can get it, honest flour, a little oil, and honey with thyme in its nose. Λίγα και καλά.