Cheese Burek (Burek sa sirom)
Burek sa sirom Say it: BOO-rek sah SEE-rom
Burek sa sirom is Croatia's beloved cheese pastry: paper-thin phyllo rolled around a soft filling of fresh curd cheese, eggs and sour cream, then coiled into a round pan and baked until shatteringly crisp. Sold in every pekara (bakery) and eaten at almost any hour, it is the cheese version of the Balkan burek — in Bosnia the same pastry is called sirnica. Cut into wedges while still warm, it is crisp at the edges and tender, savoury and creamy inside.
Cheese Burek (Burek sa sirom)
Burek sa sirom
Pronounced BOO-rek sah SEE-rom
- Serves
- 6
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 1 hr 10 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Pastry
Cheese filling
Method
Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Brush the base and sides of a round 11–12 inch (28–30 cm) baking pan generously with a little of the oil.
Make the filling. press the drained cheese through a sieve or mash it with a fork, then whisk in the eggs, sour cream, yogurt, oil and salt until smooth, thick and pourable with no large lumps.
Lay the phyllo on the work surface and keep it covered with a lightly damp towel. Brush one sheet all over with oil, lay a second sheet on top and brush that too, then repeat until you have a stack of 4 oiled sheets.
Spoon a quarter of the filling over the top sheet and spread it thinly with the back of a spoon, leaving a 1 inch (2.5 cm) border all round.
Roll the stack up from the long side into a loose cylinder, tucking in the side edges as you go so the filling stays inside.
Coil the cylinder into a loose spiral, like a snail, and set it in the oiled pan. Repeat with the remaining phyllo and filling, tucking the four spirals snugly against each other to fill the pan in one layer.
Brush the top of the burek with the 2 tbsp oil, then stir the sparkling water into the last spoonful of oil and pour it evenly over the surface — this is what makes the top crackle.
Bake for 40–45 minutes, until deep golden brown all over and crisp to the touch; if the top darkens too quickly, lay a sheet of foil loosely over it.
Let the burek rest in the pan for 15 minutes, then cut it into wedges with a sharp knife and lift them out with a spatula.
Regional variant: Meat burek (Burek s mesom)
Soften 2 finely chopped onions in 2 tbsp oil, add 1 lb (450 g) finely ground beef, 1 tsp salt and plenty of black pepper, and cook until the meat is no longer pink and the mixture is dry; cool it completely. Use this instead of the cheese filling, spreading it over the oiled phyllo in the same way, then roll, coil and bake exactly as above. No eggs, sour cream or yogurt go into the meat version.
Cook's notes
- Drain the cheese in a sieve for 20 minutes, or squeeze it in a clean cloth — a wet filling makes the pastry heavy and soggy.
- Work quickly with the phyllo: uncovered sheets dry out and crack within minutes, so always keep the rest under a damp towel.
- Do not cut the burek straight from the oven; the short rest lets the layers settle so the wedges hold together.
Serve with
Cold plain yogurt or a glass of sour milk (tekući jogurt), and a simple tomato-and-onion salad.
Make ahead and storage
Best within a few hours of baking; reheat at 350°F (175°C) for 10 minutes. Leftovers keep refrigerated for 2 days and refresh well in a dry pan.
