Bosnian pie, or burek, is a traditional dish that may require some patience to prepare.
But if you see the recipe through, you won’t regret it. This traditional pie can be stuffed with a variety of fillings. Here, host Dina in New York is sharing her family recipe.
When my guests tell me that my Bosnian pie is one of their favorite dishes, I always think back to the line of women in my family. Most of the dishes I prepare are old recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. My grandma taught my mom how to make the pie and my mom went on to teach me. Whenever I make it now, I’m always reminded of my mom – she’s my true inspiration and my rock!
Host Dina
Making the pie requires a lot of love and sweat. It’s not an easy task but if you stick with it, the results are so satisfying. There’s a saying in my home country, “If you know how to make pie, you’re ready to get married and have a family” because pie is one of the essential dishes to feed all those hungry mouths.
Ingredients
- 5 cups (640 g) flour (King Arthur all-purpose flour)
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 2 ¼ cups (530 ml) warm water
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tbsp oil
You’ll also need:
- Cotton table cloth or fabric to cover the table for stretching the dough
- Pizza knife or any sharp knife
- Large baking pan
- Oil to grease the pan
Instructions
- Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, combine warm water, vinegar, and oil and slowly start pouring into flour mixing the whole time. If the dough is sticky add more flour.
- Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces (3 pieces if using ½ above measure). Knead each piece on a flour-dusted surface about 50 times and form it into a ball. Make sure each ball is dusted with flour, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20-30 minutes.
- After resting, the dough balls will be soft to touch and smoother than before. Repeat the kneading process and again form them into balls. This time, coat every piece with cooking oil so they look nice and shiny. Cover again with plastic wrap and let rest for another 20-30 minutes.
- Brush your working surface with oil and roll out each ball of dough into an approx. 12 X 7 inch oval (30 X 18 cm). Brush the top of it with oil and let it rest for at least 15 minutes.
- Cover the table with cloth, grease the baking pan and pre-heat the oven to 425 F (218 C).
- Place the rolled out dough piece on a rolling pin and transfer it onto the cloth. Put both hands under the dough with palms up and stretch gently from the middle to the sides. The dough is supposed to be elastic and stretchy (if not, let it rest for about 10 more minutes then try again). After that, stretch the sides.
- Add a filling of choice to the dough and roll into a tube.
- Shape the tube into a snake-shaped coil and place the rolls on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush with oil.
- Bake in the oven until golden brown.
