Cypriot Baked Rice Pudding (Fırın Sütlaç)

Wash and drain 100 g baldo rice, put it in a pot and add water to cover by two fingers. Cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the grains are soft.

Add 1 litre whole milk and bring to the boil over medium heat, then turn the heat down. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring now and then with a wooden spoon so it does not catch on the bottom.

When the mixture coats the spoon, add 150 g granulated sugar and cook for 5 more minutes until it has completely dissolved. If the sugar goes in at the start, the starch is released more slowly and the pudding stays runny.

Mix 1 tablespoon rice flour with half a cup of cold milk until smooth and pour it into the pot in a thin stream. Boil for 3 more minutes, stirring constantly; this step stops the surface cracking in the oven.

Divide the hot pudding between four ovenproof porcelain or earthenware bowls. Set the bowls in a deep roasting tray and fill the tray with hot water halfway up the bowls; the water bath browns the surface without burning it.

Place on the top shelf of an oven preheated to 220 °C on the grill setting for 10 to 15 minutes. Take them out when the surface is speckled brown, not evenly browned.

Leave the bowls to reach room temperature, then rest them in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Sprinkle with cinnamon if you like and serve cold.