Yugoslavian Pita Recipes

BUREK

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Brown ground beef in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain fat; stir in allspice, paprika, salt, and pepper. Transfer beef to a large bowl and stir in potato and onion.
• Unroll phyllo pastry and transfer 2 sheets to a work surface; stack sheets. Spoon 1/8th of the ground beef mixture down one long edge of the phyllo pastry. Roll phyllo into a tube, encasing beef. Shape the tube into a coil (snail shape). Place the roll on an ungreased baking sheet; brush with melted butter. Repeat, placing finished rolls up against one another to keep them from unrolling.
• Bake burek in the preheated oven until golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes.

YUGOSLAVIAN PITA

Steps:

• Thaw phyllo dough according to package directions. Prepare filling ingredients before removing from package.
• To prepare filling, mix eggs and all three cheeses.
• Melt butter.
• Remove dough from package, placing it on a clean cloth. Cover with a lightly moistened cloth. Everytime you remove sheets of dough, replace the top covering cloth so that your dough does not dry out.
• Spread some butter on pan. Place two sheets of dough on yet another cloth. Sprinkle butter on the sheets. Put two more sheets on top of it; sprinkle with butter again. Add fifth sheet of dough.
• At one end of sheets (length wise), about 3 inches from the long edge, place several scoops of the mixture in a log shape. Do not place cheese all the way to the sides; leave a couple inches bare. Roll up. Tucking side edges under the roll, place roll in pan, seam side down. Put more butter on top.
• Repeat process for more rolls. It works best if pan is filled with rolls. I use a pan typically used for single layer cakes.
• Bake at 375 degrees for anywhere from 30 - 60 min, until golden brown.
• Let them rest for a little before cutting.

LEPINJA (BALKAN FLATBREAD)

Steps:

• Sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk in a small bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam. Stir the warm water and sugar into the yeast mixture.
• Stir the flour and salt together in a separate bowl; add all but about 1/2 cup of the flour mixture to the yeast mixture; mix with your hands until a soft dough forms, adding the last of the flour mixture a little at a time until it clears the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl with a light cloth and let the dough rise in a warm place (80 to 95 degrees F (27 to 35 degrees C)) until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Deflate, or 'punch down,' the dough and turn out onto a work surface lightly dusted with flour; knead for about 5 minutes. Return the dough to the bowl, cover again with a light cloth, and allow the dough to again rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes more.
• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Deflate the dough and turn turn out onto a work surface lightly dusted with flour; knead lightly. Place the dough onto the prepared baking sheet; shape into an oval about 1/2-inch thick. Set aside to rise a third time for about 30 minutes.
• Bake in the preheated oven until nicely browned and hollow sounding when thumped, 20 to 25 minutes.

BOSNIAN PITA (PHYLLO PIE) WITH SPINACH FILLING

Steps:

• WASH HANDS (This recipe requires you to work with the food directly with your hands).
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Wash and drain spinach.
• Chop spinach and put in a big glass bowl.
• Add salt and mix with hands.
• Leave the spinach to sit for about 10 minutes to allow the salt to draw out the water from the vegetable.
• The water in spinach will make the filling bitter so do not skip this step.
• Drain the spinach by either sqeezing it bit by bit with your hand over the sink or by spinning several times in a salad spinner.
• Transfer drained spinach into a new bowl.
• Add egg, and sour cream.
• Fold in feta and cheddar cheese.
• Put some olive oil in a small bowl.
• Grease a 9"*13" glass or metal baking pan.
• Take your phyllo dough sheets and lie the sheets, stacked, on a dry surface.
• TIP: (While adding the filling, you may wish to cover the dough with a dry towel and then a damp one to keep it from drying out or flaking) Place one sheet of dough into the pan and cut away excess.
• Brush with oil, using either your hands or a pastry brush.
• Repeat until dough is 6 or 7 layers.
• Add a skim of filling with hands and spread evenly.
• Repeat steps 16-18 until the pie reaches the top of the pan or you run out of ingredients.
• Just make sure you finish with the dough on top, sort of like lasagna.
• Place pie in the oven, uncovered, about 45 minutes.
• The top becomes flaky.
• Pour on top of the pie while it is baking, 1/4 cup sour cream blended with 0.125 cup of milk.
• Bake for 15 more minutes.
• This dish can be served warm or room temperature.
• It is traditionally served with a yogurt beverage which is easily replicated by mixing the plain yogurt with milk, in equal parts.