OK OK, listen up.
Yesterday, I was 100% not cooking. I was on strike. Protest mode activated. But then... oh no...
EVENING HIT.
And I was CRAVING BUREK like a maniac.
Ooooooh, the craving was real. Like, deep soul-level craving. And who, tell me WHO in this house can make burek?
Yeah… just me. Only me.
I mean, maybe my husband could try... but let’s be honest—if he try, there’s a solid chance it’ll end in flames. Like, actual flames.
So what does a grown woman do when burek is calling her name?
She makes the damn burek.
Because. I. Can. Muahaha. 😎💪
And hey, when I’m in a good mood...I can totally pull the "perfect wife" move.
Yes, I adulted SO HARD yesterday. Cleaned. Wrote stuff. Went shopping.
And then?
I COOKED.
Which means: I get to pick the movie, honey. Not you. 😏
Because I was a good girl, and you did...well...nothing!
It usually works. Not always. But often enough 😂
Now, full confession:
I’m not a chef. Not even close.
I don’t dream in spice combinations. I don’t enjoy “just winging it” in the kitchen.
But sometimes... SOMETIMES... something hits me, and then I go full-on kitchen warrior.
Because, let’s be real...if I’m gonna make it, it better be GOOD. 😉
So this burek craving didn’t happen for a while. It just came to me. Like a mystical food vision.
And obviously, I had to call my mom for the recipe. AGAIN.
She’s told me a million times, but do I ever write it down?
Nope.
But this time I did.
And now I’m sharing it with you!
Because next time I forget, I’ll just come back and read my own post like the genius I am. 😄
But wait... do you even know what burek is? Let me educate you a little because yes—food history is WAY more fun than actual cooking. 😉
So, burek has been around for CENTURIES.
The original version probably came from nomadic Turks in Central Asia before the 7th century (yeah, it’s ancient).
It started super humble: cheese, butter, rolled dough, baked over fire on hot stones.
The word "burek" comes from Turkish bur- which means to roll.
So it's basically a fancy roll—or strudel—filled with whatever your hungry heart desires.
Over time, fillings changed: meat, potatoes, spinach, cheese, you name it.
But in Bosnia, they’re very particular:
Only meat-filled is officially called burek.
Everything else? Just “pie.”
Do I care? Nope. It’s all burek to me, baby.
And YES...everyone in the Balkans knows burek. You can’t avoid it. It’s life. It’s love. It’s hot, oily joy wrapped in dough.
Now… THE RECIPE (aka the magic)
You can make your own dough OR buy it like I did.
Because hello—convenience is queen.
But for the overachievers, here’s the full thing:
🧑🍳 Dough:
0.5 kg flour
2.5 dl lukewarm water
0.5 dl oil
Pinch of salt
Mix it all up, knead till smooth, split into 3 little dough-babies, and let them nap.
🥩 Filling:
0.5 kg mixed minced meat
1 onion (chopped)
2 garlic cloves (smashed)
Salt & pepper
A bit of oil
Splash of water
Fry onion, garlic, meat, spices—boom. Done.
Now, roll out each dough ball super thin, oil it up, spread the meat filling, roll it, then coil it like a snail in a greased baking pan.
Repeat till you’ve got a spiral of happiness.
Bake at 200°C till golden, then pour half a liter of water on top (trust me—it’s a thing!) and bake again until fully cooked.
It’s actually EASY. But do I still fail sometimes? Absolutely.
My dough broke when I tried the circle thing, so I just winged it in the pan. Not pretty, but same deliciousness. 😉))
guard! 😂
So, what do you say?
You HAVE to try this. You won’t regret it.
I don’t usually make cheese burek—just not my fave.
But if someone makes it for me or I buy it somewhere... you better believe I’ll eat the whole thing.
And because I'm such a lovely, sweet, amazing wife (yes, write that down 😌), I decided my husband is allowed to eat the burek.
No complaining. No comments. Just eat.
Because if he even thinks about giving critique… I’ll throw a rolling pin at him. Kidding! (It’s not rolling pin, soooo...) 😏
He already watched a movie I picked last night, so I know he's trying to behave. He doesn’t want another rom-com or historical drama marathon. And listen—it’s 7 PM, which means he still has to spend a few hours with me before I transform into a sleepy gremlin and go to bed. So yeah, best behavior is expected. 😉)))
If you ever try this burek—and I highly recommend that you do—or if you’ve got a different recipe, let me know!
Let’s swap chaos kitchen stories. 🥰🥟🔥
Till then…
Stay greasy, stay happy, and roll that dough like a Balkan pro.
Muahahaha! 💃💥
With love, @tinabrezpike ❤️