Burek
Burek was introduced to Slovenia through the culinary traditions of the Ottoman Empire and later through migration within the former Yugoslavia. Although its origins lie in the eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans, burek became firmly established in Slovenian urban food culture during the twentieth century, particularly after World War II, when internal migration brought workers and families from Bosnia and other southern regions to Slovenian industrial centers.
In Slovenia, burek evolved from a regional specialty into a widely consumed everyday food. It is most commonly filled with meat, cheese, spinach, or pizza-style ingredients and is typically sold in bakeries and small fast-food establishments. Today, burek occupies a distinctive place in Slovenian food culture: it is associated both with Balkan culinary heritage and with contemporary urban street food traditions.
https://jaddeyekabir.com/tag/burek-nein-danke/
https://foodfatnessfitness.com/2015/12/08/276/
Recipe
Ingredients:
Dough
160 ml lukewarm water
30 g canola oil
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp fine salt
290 g all-purpose flour
canola oil for brushing the dough
flour for dusting
Filling
500 g farmer’s cheese
200 ml sour cream
2 eggs
salt to taste (start with about 10 g)
Instructions:
Dough
In a large bowl, mix together the lukewarm water, oil, vinegar, and a pinch of salt.
Stir in about half of the flour with a spoon until everything comes together. Then add the remaining flour and knead the dough on your work surface until it is smooth and elastic. The dough should feel moist but not sticky — if it sticks to your hands, sprinkle in just a little more flour. I like to slam the dough onto the counter a few times, as it helps develop the gluten.
Shape the dough into a ball, brush a clean bowl with a bit of oil, place the dough inside, and lightly brush the top with oil as well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature for at least one hour.
Filling
Mix together the farmer’s cheese, sour cream, and beaten eggs.
Add salt to taste.
Making burek
Dust your work surface generously. Lift the flattened dough and let it hang briefly so it stretches under its own weight, turning it gently like a steering wheel to stretch all sides. Transfer to the table and brush with 1–2 tablespoons of oil.
Stretch the dough by pulling gently from left and right, then top and bottom, forming a large circle that is thinner in the center. Lightly lift and wave it (like draping a tablecloth) to help it expand. Slip your hands underneath, knuckles up, and stretch slowly, walking around the table and pulling a little at a time.
Continue in circles until the dough is evenly thin across the entire surface (anecdotally, it needs to be so thin that you can read a newspaper through it). Add more oil (2–3 tablespoons at a time) if needed. Shape into a large disc, avoiding tears; if small holes appear, gently pinch them together or work around them.
Drizzle the stretched dough with 2–3 tablespoons of oil.
Distribute the filling evenly around the edges of the dough. The filling should form a continuous ring, about 2–3 cm thick.
Lift the edge of the dough and fold it over the filling to enclose it completely. Continue all the way around.
Now begin rolling the filled edge inward: gently roll a few centimeters toward the center, then pull the dough slightly back toward yourself. Work evenly around the entire circle so that the roll is uniform and the filling stays enclosed.
As you continue, the dough in the center will become very thin and may tear. This is expected. Keep rolling until most of the center is torn, then remove or cut away the excess dough in the middle.
You should now have a long, filled “ring” of dough (as in the pictures below).
Preheat oven to 450°F (220°C).
Generously grease a round baking pan. Starting in the center, coil the burek around itself until the pan is filled. If you have any dough left, shape it into smaller spirals and bake them separately. Brush the top lightly with oil.
Bake at 450°F (220°C) for 10–15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 390°F (200°C) and continue baking for another 30 minutes, turning the pan once if needed. If it browns too much, cover with aluminum foil for the remainder of the baking.
A few minutes before the burek is done baking, heat a small amount of oil with water in a small pot. Once the burek is finished, pour the mixture generously over it. Cover with a kitchen cloth and let it rest for about 20 minutes.
Burek is ready to serve. Slice and serve with salad or yogurt.
