Bulgarian Fried Flatbread (Mekitsa)
Мекица MekitsaSay it: meh-KEET-sah
Mekitsa is Bulgaria's beloved breakfast flatbread: a soft, yeast-risen dough pinched into rough discs and fried until puffed and golden, crisp at the edges and airy within. Bulgarians eat them warm on weekend mornings and holidays, torn by hand and dusted with powdered sugar, spread with jam or honey, or topped with crumbled white cheese and thick yogurt. The dough comes together quickly from flour, eggs, yogurt and yeast, and the frying fills the kitchen with the smell of a Bulgarian Sunday.
Bulgarian Fried Flatbread (Mekitsa)
Мекица, Mekitsa
Pronounced meh-KEET-sah
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 1 hr 25 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 1 hr 50 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.
Dough
For frying
To serve
Method
Stir the yeast and sugar into the warm water in a small bowl and leave for 10 minutes, until a thick foam forms on the surface.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, yogurt, salt and 2 tablespoons of oil until smooth, then pour in the foamy yeast mixture.
Add the flour a cup at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon, then knead in the bowl for 5-6 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth and only slightly sticky; add flour by the spoonful if it will not come together, but keep it tender rather than firm.
Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and leave in a warm, draught-free spot for about 1 hour, until the dough has doubled and looks full of bubbles.
Heat the frying oil in a deep skillet over medium heat to 350°F (175°C); a small pinch of dough should sizzle and rise to the surface within a few seconds.
Oil your hands and the work surface, pull off a plum-sized piece of dough (about 2 oz/55 g) and stretch it gently into a rough disc about 4 inches (10 cm) across, leaving it thicker in the middle.
Fry two or three at a time for 2-3 minutes per side, until puffed, deep golden and crisp at the edges, then lift out onto paper towels and keep warm while you shape and fry the rest.
Pile the mekitsi on a plate and serve warm with powdered sugar, jam or honey, or with crumbled white cheese and thick yogurt.
Regional variant: Quick soda mekitsi (Бързи мекици с сода)
Leave out the yeast, sugar and warm water and instead sift 1 teaspoon (5 g) baking soda with the flour and use 1 cup (240 ml) sparkling water or buttermilk in place of the yogurt. Mix to a soft dough, rest it covered for 15 minutes and fry straight away, without any rising time. The result is denser and crisper — the everyday version for when there is no time to wait for yeast.
Cook's notes
- Oil your hands instead of flouring them: loose flour on the outside of the dough burns in the hot oil and stops the mekitsi from puffing.
- Hold the oil at a steady 350°F (175°C) — too hot and the outside browns before the centre cooks, too cool and the bread drinks the oil.
- Fry in small batches so the temperature does not drop, and let the oil come back up to heat between batches.
Serve with
Warm, with thick yogurt and crumbled sirene, or sweet with jam, honey or powdered sugar; ayran or strong coffee alongside.
Make ahead and storage
The dough can be mixed, covered and refrigerated overnight, then brought back to room temperature for 30 minutes before frying. Fried mekitsi are best eaten at once; reheat leftovers in a dry skillet or a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5 minutes.
