Ingredients
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Dough
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500 g All purpose Flour
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300 ml Waterlukewarm
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1 tablespoon Salt
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10 ml Sunflower Oil
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Stuffing
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500 g minced beef
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2 pcs Onion chopped
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20 ml Sunflower Oil
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1 tablespoon Salt
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1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
Directions
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, besides Cevapi, Burek is certainly the most famous and widespread dish. It is a traditional Bosnian cuisine street food speciality. However, even with all its popularity, Burek recipe is quite simple.
Burek is made from finely minced meat, onion, salt and pepper wrapped in a thinly stretched dough called – jufke.
Fun Fact!
Did you know what a shop selling Burek is called in Bosnia?
The answer is – ‘Buregdinice’
You will be surprised to know that in Bosnia and Herzegovina, you can find countless Buregdinice in literally every town and village. You might be wondering what is so intriguing about this. Well, these shops sell nothing but Burek and still there is cutthroat competition in this space because Burek is so popular among the Bosnians.
Traditionally, it is served warm, usually with yoghurt, and eaten quickly, on the go.
Burek Recipe Origin & Turkish Vs Bosnian Preparations
Like many other dishes of traditional Bosnian cuisine, burek recipe has its origins in Turkish cuisine. In fact, there is a borek dish in Turkey, and you can find more about it in this blog post.
Thus, with the Turkish conquests, Burek came to Bosnia, but here it gained a local twist and a different meaning.
Unlike Turkish cuisine, where Borek is considered a dough with different fillings, in Bosnia, the most common filling is of meat.
In Bosnian cuisine, dishes are prepared in this way, with fillings of, for example, cheese, spinach, potatoes, are considered pies. So you will find all kinds of pies if you visit Bosnia, including potato pie, vegetable pie, cheese pie, etc.
The Two Bosnian Burek Recipe Versions
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, You will find two standard versions of Burek, Ciza and Whirligig. Each has its own speciality that stems mostly from the dough’s shape apart from other differences.
Ciza – The Tubular Dough Version
The first version is baked in a casserole in a tubular shape and is known as ciza. It is more common in buregdinice (specialised shops) where it is sold as bulk for a kilo.
Whirligig – The Spiral Dough Version
Another spiral-shaped version is more common in bakeries and is called Whirligig.
Around Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Whirligig are popular and are commonly known as ‘buredžici.’
These are smaller whirligig burek, coated with sour cream and garlic.
Burek’s Ascending Popularity
Let’s just mention Burek has found its place in popular culture. Namely, Dino Merlin, a popular singer-songwriter and singer, named his studio album Burek.
How We Sourced This Recipe?
This Burek recipe is from Amira, a colleague of my wife. She was born in Sarajevo, and she most certainly knows how to prepare Bosnian dishes.
Step By Step Recipe Guide To Making The Ethnic Bosnian Burek
Below are the helpful steps to make this mouthwatering Bosnian version of the Turkish snack with ease. So try it out and let us know in the comments how it turned out for you.
Steps
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1
Done
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Preparing The Burek DoughIn a deep bowl, mix the flour, lukewarm water, oil and salt. Mix it until it becomes smooth and stops sticking. Divide into 4 parts, spread them a bit with hands, grease with oil and let it stand for 20-30 minutes. |
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2
Done
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Sauté Finely Chopped Onion & MeatWhile the dough rises, prepare the filling. In a frying pan, sauté the finely chopped onion and meat for a few minutes until the onion is translucent and the meat is brown. Season with a little pepper and salt. |
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3
Done
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Spread The Dough On A Table ClothYou must use a tablecloth to prepare the burek. Put it over the kitchen table. Place the dough in the middle and spread it with your hands all over the table until it becomes thin and transparent. |
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4
Done
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Stuff Both Sides Of The Spread Out DoughPlace the stuffing on both sides of the dough. Sprinkle with oil. Spreading on both sides gives and even flavoring in each bite, doubling the joy of eating Burek. |
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5
Done
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Roll It Into A Long WrapRoll with a tablecloth on one side to the middle. You will get a long wrap that you can cut depending on the length. |
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6
Done
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Swirl To Get the Final Shape & Bake In A CasseroleSwirl each wrap (as in the picture below) and you get a burek. Sprinkle with oil again. Coat a larger casserole dish with oil, arrange the burek and bake at 200 C for 25-30 minutes. |
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7
Done
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Cover The Baked Dish To Soften The Crispy CrustWhen they are baked, cover them with a wet cloth and leave for about 10 minutes, so that the crust is soft and crispy. |
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8
Done
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Serve It With Yoghurt & LoveIn Bosnia, burek is traditionally served with yoghurt, a healthy snack with a healthy companion, what more could you ask for? I hope this recipe will add the ethnic Bosnian flavor to your breakfast and evening snack. |
3 Comments Hide Comments
My family comes Bosnia and Croatia and no one in the family or friends ever sauté the meat and onion before placing it on the pastry. The traditional way is to mix the raw onion and raw mince thoroughly and scatter ny clumps of the raw mixture about half a teaspoon in size all over the sheet of pastry, it’s like pinching bits of the mixture and scattering it evenly all over and making sure there’s loads of. The ratio of onion to meat should be eg if you have half a bowl of raw meat do equal half bowl of chopped onion. Sautéing the meat before hand is unnecessary and renders a drier texture. There should also be quite heavy dose of pepper & liberal with the salt plus a sprinkling of paprika which together with the onion gives the Burek its unique and totally delightful flavour. Using raw meat also keeps the burek extra moist and adds far more flavour
Very true Marita, we always use fresh meat and onions like you said for better taste and to keep the Burek moist 🙂
I ate one from a Bosnian family, I think it was made with minced beef. I liked it and made one with lamb mince. My friend’s name was Ras. He was a lovely man.