Easy Recipe for Croatian Burek

Burek is a popular pastry dish in Croatia and other parts of the Balkans, Greece, Turkey, and the Middle East. It can be filled with cheese, meat, potato, spinach, apple, or almost anything. Although it’s not exactly healthy, burek is a perfect dish to enjoy for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or as a snack.

Making burek from scratch can be challenging, particularly the phyllo dough. However, this easy recipe can help you make authentic Croatian burek with ease.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups water
• Vegetable oil

For the Cheese Filling:

• 1 cup feta cheese
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 egg

For the Meat & Potato Filling:

• 1 pound beef mince
• 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt to taste
• Oil for cooking

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Gradually add the water while mixing until the mixture forms a dough. Knead the dough for about five minutes until it becomes stretchy.
2. Divide the dough into four batches and flatten each batch by pressing down. Grease a large bowl or pan with vegetable oil, add the flattened dough, and repeat until all the dough is in the bowl. Add more vegetable oil on top of the dough and set it aside to rest.
3. Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Grease your work surface lightly with vegetable oil and take one piece of dough out of the bowl, removing any excess oil. Stretch the dough outwards repeatedly until it becomes 1 meter in diameter. You may end up with a few holes, but it’s okay.
4. Fold one side of the dough disc towards the center, repeating until you get a pentagon shape. Repeat this process with another piece of dough.
5. Add your preferred filling to the dough piece, leaving a small space around the edges. Add the first piece of stretched dough into the middle of the second one and fold the edges of the dough to get a pentagon shape. Put it into a baking pan or tray.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes or until it turns golden. Remove from the oven and let it cool down. Cut into 12 pieces and serve warm.

For the Cheese Filling:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the feta cheese, cottage cheese, and egg until well mixed.

For the Meat & Potato Filling:

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it becomes soft.
2. Add the beef mince and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring regularly.
3. Add the diced potatoes, rosemary, garlic, and paprika, and stir to combine. Add salt to taste.
4. Continue cooking until the beef mince is cooked through. Drain the beef with a sieve to remove any excess oil and press down to dry it out.

Conclusion:

Burek is a delicious pastry dish that you can make at home with this easy recipe. Although the phyllo dough may seem challenging to make, this recipe provides simple instructions that anyone can follow. Whether you prefer a cheese, meat, or potato filling, burek is a versatile dish that you can enjoy any time of the day.

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