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“coffee cake” with walnuts
A not-too-sweet baked good served with coffee or tea, gata is made by enclosing a butter-and-flour filling with dough—most of the time. No two gata are alike: Some are made with a yeasted dough and baked in a tonir while some are made into individual portions, almost like scones. And some—like this one—are filled with nuts. This rendition was inspired by Alex Ghazaryan, chef at the Tufenkian Old Dilijan Complex. He learned how to make it by watching his grandmother, who, like most bakers in Armenia, measured everything achkachap—by the eye. While we watched, he shaped the soft, pliable dough into what looked like a large dumpling filled with butter, sugar, and walnuts before pressing it into a disk, never once using a rolling pin. We’ve reengineered it to fit standard measurements in America, but the low-tech spirit of the dessert—and the rich walnut filling—is true to the original.
A few notes before you start: Handle the dough gently so it doesn’t become tough once it’s baked. Read the shaping method before you start so you can anticipate the shape you’ll need to create to form the gata. In some cases, the filling may bubble out of part of the gata as it bakes. Don’t worry, it will still taste good.
Makes one 9 in [23 cm] cake
1/4 cup [60 g] unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp [80 g] granulated sugar
1/2 cup [120 g] plain, whole-milk yogurt
1/4 cup [60 g] sour cream
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
13/4 cups [245 g] all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
FILLING
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup [55 g] walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped
1/3 cup [65 g] granulated sugar
11/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp kosher salt (optional)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Preheat the oven to 375ºF [190ºC]. Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper or lightly oil it. Have one large bowl and two medium bowls handy.
To make the dough, in a medium bowl, mash and mix the butter and sugar together with a rubber spatula until they form a paste.
In the large bowl, mix together the yogurt, sour cream, salt, and baking soda with a spoon or rubber spatula. Add the butter and sugar to the yogurt and mix well. It’s okay if the butter and sugar aren’t blended completely into the yogurt.
Gradually stir in the flour with the rubber spatula. Once the flour is incorporated, gently knead the dough with your hands, patting it into the bowl with the palm of your hand and folding it over itself inside the bowl until the dough is soft and smooth.
Dust the counter with flour and place the dough on top. Gently knead a couple of times, dusting with flour to keep it from sticking, until it is only slightly tacky when touched. Pat the dough into a disk about 6 in [15 cm] wide, place on a plate, and refrigerate while you make the filling. (This makes the dough less sticky and easier to handle.)
To make the filling, in the remaining medium bowl, use your hands to mix together the butter, walnuts, sugar, flour, and salt, if using.
To shape and bake, dust the counter with flour and place the dough on top. Using your fingers, gently press the dough into a 10 in [25 cm] round, leaving the center of the round slightly domed and the edges thinner. Place the filling in the center, leaving a 11/2 in [4 cm] edge. Gather the edges up over the filling and pleat and press together as if sealing a large, round dumpling. Press firmly to seal the edges so the filling is no longer exposed. Flatten the dough gently with the palm of your hand to smooth any edges and ensure that the gata is sealed.
Place the gata, sealed-side down, in the center of the lined pan and press firmly with the palm of your hand to flatten into an 8 in [20 cm] round.
With the flat side of a fork’s tines (and not the sharp points), press lines across the top of the gata in a crisscross pattern. Brush the top and sides generously with the beaten egg and then bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until the top is golden brown but before the bottom is dark brown, about 30 minutes. (It may look lighter than in the photo on page 237.)
Let cool completely on the sheet pan. Cut into wedges for serving. Gata is best the day it’s baked. Reheat day-old gata slices in a toaster oven before serving. Alternatively, freeze the finished gata and reheat at 350ºF [180ºC] until hot in the center.
