Cheese Burek
- Vegetarian
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: 15 min
- Cook time: 50 min
- Serving: 6
- Cost: Low
PRESENTATION
Burek al formaggio is this super tasty dish you’ll find all over the Balkans. People there have been rolling up this crispy, cheesy treat for, like, ages. The word "burek"—which is Turkish—means "to roll," and honestly, it's spot on since the filling is all wrapped in layers of phyllo or yufka dough. Now, what sets the ricetta burek al formaggio apart is the cheese filling. It’s a blend of eggs, yogurt, and skuta cheese. And look, skuta is kind of like ricotta, but it's drier and more tangy, giving the dish this really unique flavor that just goes perfectly with the dough. Seriously good stuff. Across the Balkans, people make burek with all kinds of fillings, but the cheese one? Way way better. They even have different shapes with their own cool names, like cigar-shaped or tiny pieces. Pretty much, every region has its own twist. The golden crust and the soft, cheesy inside? For real, it's what keeps people coming back for more. Any time of the day.
In the Balkans, this dish is enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or even as a midnight snack. It’s food that feels both tender and hearty. And here's the thing, it’s so easy to grab and go, you’ll spot it at bakeries and street stalls everywhere. The burek ricetta tradizionale often uses local cheeses, so if you’re curious, try mixing in some feta or any crumbly cheese you've got lying around. Thing is, one of the coolest things about Balkan food is how it adapts to what's available, so every bite can be, you know, a little different. If you’re into exploring new meals, the burek pasta fillo version is a delicious way to bring fresh flavors to your table. With its flaky crust and moist, cheesy filling, this dish works for a casual dinner, a party, or just a snack when you crave something different. Give it a try, and you’ll see why folks across the region keep this sweet and savory pie in their regular food lineup. It’s such a great way to enjoy a piece of Balkan culinary history right at home.
INGREDIENTS
- Ingredients for a 12x8 inch baking dish
- Skuta cheese 2 ½ cups (600 g)
- Phyllo dough 12.3 oz (350 g) - rectangular
- Greek yogurt ½ cup (125 g)
- Eggs 3 - medium
- Extra virgin olive oil 0.625 cup (150 ml)
- Fine salt to taste
- for brushing
- Eggs 1
How to prepare Cheese Burek
To make the cheese burek, prepare the filling: place the fresh cheese in a bowl 1, separately, in another bowl, beat the eggs 2, then add the Greek yogurt 3, the salt,
and mix with the whisk to incorporate it 4, add the beaten egg mixture to the skuta 5, mix the mixture, and finally add the olive oil in a thin stream 6 while continuing to mix.
Transfer the obtained mixture to a large bowl 7, then oil a rectangular baking dish about 12x8 inches 8, line the bottom with a sheet of phyllo dough, letting the dough hang over the edge because it will be used to close the pastry 9.
Take another sheet of phyllo dough, squeeze it and dip it in the bowl with the egg and cheese mixture to flavor it 10, then spread it in the baking dish 11. Continue this way by dipping the sheets of dough in the filling until the ingredients are used up, taking care to finish with a layer of just filling spread with a spoon on the surface 12.
Cover with a dry sheet of phyllo dough to spread over the surface 13, fold the edges inward to close the dough so that the filling does not spill out and brush the entire surface with the beaten egg 14. Bake the cheese burek in a static oven at 350°F for 50 minutes (if using a fan oven, 320°F for 40 minutes). At the end of cooking, your burek will be golden on the surface, take it out of the oven 15 and let it cool slightly before serving.