Rooti Farmaajo (Honeycomb Cheese Bread) Recipe (2024)

Thank you, Amanda S, for making the recipe and commenting on your results. I wanted to make this recipe VERY much, but found only your notes amongst the cheese-hysteria. I made the coconut version, and it was really delicious. No idea why everyone is so afraid of Laughing Cow cheese, it is sold everywhere in Europe as well as in the US. The rolls came out with a soft mild center with no separation of oil from the cheese. C'mon everyone, relax, Laughing Cow is not poison.

Wow, this is really good! I wanted to try both the condensed milk coconut version and the honey sesame version, so I did half and half and both were wonderful (I think the honey sesame was a little better). A real treat!

Is "farmaajo" from the Italian "formaggio"? I know there is a history of Italian colonialism in Somalia.

For those asking about a cheese alternative, Lebneh would be pretty close texturally speaking. It is simply greek yogurt that has been strained in a cheese cloth. I think mixing with a small amount of cream cheese would dupe the texture and flavor of an original laughing cow cheese.

Hi there! Italian here. Yes there is, italian was even taught (i am not sure of today) in Somalia. Not a happy story, of course, and it left its mark.

If I couldn’t use Laughing cow and wanted to make something my fridge hasn’t got as I also live 130K round trip from a supermarket I’d make my own ricotta and whip it maybe with a bit of feta?I mean the filling really is a license to create I think.

I don't see a honey sesame version with this recipe. Where would I find that?

I suspect the intention is to repeat the process with the remaining dough. The recipe is unclear, though. Divide in half, roll it, cut pieces, make one ball - and then repeat with remaining dough. Syntax suggests that applies only the that first half. Poor editing.

Laughing Cow is quite like spreadable cream cheese, but with a tad less proportion of fats. I suspect it would work fine, as would regular bricks of cream cheese, although that does have a considerably higher fat proportion

I had to look up the ingredients to Laughing Cow cheese. Among other things, it's made of emulsified cheddar, semisoft, and Swiss cheeses. I haven't made this recipe, and I'm spit-balling here, but an alternative could be cream cheese, cheddar, and Swiss cheeses mixed together and spooned into the dough. Or, like one commenter suggested, use creative license and fill with whatever you have in your pantry.

Recipe says to repeat with remaining dough.

In Europe: any Swiss spreadable creamy cheese will do. Choose one that will melt nicely. In the DACH countries, “Streichkäse”, the Gerber brand has a lactose-free version if required.

Suzanne, once the ball of dough is flattened into a disk, put a dollop of filling in the center. Then gather the edges of the disk and pinch the top to seal the filling. It's similar to making wontons and other filled dumplings. Once sealed, rolled the ball in your hands until the pinched part is no longer visible. Use as much filling as you want, but make sure you are able to pinch the disk of dough close.

Use any filling you like since the filling really isn't cooked, only melted. You can use peanut butter, jam, Nutella™, etc. You can even make savory pastries with a meat or seafood filling, e.g. shrimp paste. For safety reasons, it's probably best to precook the meat before filling.

I’m wondering if I could make this in advance and leave in the fridge for say 4/5 hrs prior to baking?Gotta go to work.

I intend to make this with farmers cheese, a reasonable in between cream cheese and laughing cow, in my opinion. Will report back!

I divided the dough for 32pc instead 30pc in total. It's a lot easier to make 16pc from half of the dough than 15pc and 8pc cheese x4=32!

This is a lovely, shareable treat to pull out of the oven for guests. I loved the subtle cardamom flavor. I did 50/50 of condensed milk/coconut and honey/sesame seeds. I loved them both. I was unaware of the cheese scandal and used the laughing cow cheese. I'd actually prefer the bread without it, especially as the bread cools. It's such a mild cheese it didn't add much to the dish but it was a fun surprise when the bread was hot. The cardamom bread and toppings are the real star of this recipe!

Wonderful! Made twice with instant yeast and cream cheese, and had to bake 25 minutes for golden brown. Also tried honey and sesame, but need a lot more honey than the condensed milk called for and thus that was not as good. Some say to soak in honey!

I think the 2 teaspoon (6 gm) yeast is a type. 2 tsp would be about 16 gram, which makes much more sense.

I made this with small pieces of fresh mozzarella which melded with the bread. Delicious!

Recipe works perfectly! Delicious.

So I’m sitting here in Mogadishu but for some reason I just can’t find any Laughing Cow cheese.

Followed recipe directions as written, used honey and sesame seeds on top at the finish. Turned out perfect. Only comment was, "more honey"

I’m also in Denver and didn’t get nearly as much rise as expected, @Helen. I always blame my yeast but who knows.

@Helen the issues you had with the rise are probably due at least in part to your substitutions. You used gluten free flour and lactose milk. Substitutions can often affect the turnout of a recipe and may need different proportions or additions or subtractions to work out. If you’re worried about your yeast, test it in a separate bowl before adding it to see if it’s alive. Good luck with your next version!

I must have done something wrong. I made 1/2 recipe to try and got very little rise from my dough, maybe yeast was too old? I'm in Denver, but didn't make any high altitude adjustments. I used GF flour and lactose-free milk (although did use Laughing Cow, not a lactose-free cream cheese) because a family member has dietary issues. My results were disappointing. The roll was dense and heavy, the cheese didn't soften much, and it just didn't taste very good. I'm sad; really wanted to like it.

How long is the “thick roll?”

This was a very light and airy bread, reminiscent of cinnamon rolls, and very tasty. My only substitution was that I used cream cheese and put a dab of condensed milk along with the cheese while stuffing. It was perfect in a Ramadan iftar spread.

Does adding the condensed milk on top make the bread soggy?