Bosnian Burek Pastry (Printable)

Delicate phyllo layered with spiced beef and spinach, baked to golden crisp perfection.

# What You'll Need:

→ Filling

01 - 14 oz ground beef (80/20 lean-to-fat ratio)
02 - 7 oz fresh spinach, washed and chopped
03 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 tsp salt
06 - ½ tsp black pepper
07 - ½ tsp paprika (optional)

→ Pastry & Assembly

08 - 17.5 sheets phyllo pastry (about 12–14 sheets, approx. 1 lb)
09 - 8.5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
10 - 3 tbsp vegetable oil

→ Brushing & Serving

11 - 3 tbsp plain yogurt (optional)
12 - 1 tbsp water (for brushing)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
02 - Combine ground beef, chopped spinach, onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, and paprika in a large bowl until evenly blended.
03 - Melt butter and mix with vegetable oil in a small bowl.
04 - Place one phyllo sheet on a clean surface, brush lightly with the butter-oil mixture. Layer another sheet on top and brush again. Repeat to form a stack of 2 to 3 sheets.
05 - Spread a thin, even layer of filling along one long edge of the phyllo stack, leaving a small border. Roll tightly to enclose the filling, forming a long log.
06 - Coil the log gently into a spiral shape and place it on the prepared baking tray. Repeat with remaining dough and filling, arranging one large or several smaller spirals.
07 - Generously brush the tops with the remaining butter-oil mixture.
08 - Mix plain yogurt with water and brush the mixture over the pastry for enhanced crispness (optional).
09 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and crisp.
10 - Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The phyllo gets impossibly crisp and shattered when you bite it, then melts into buttery silk.
  • One burek feeds a crowd and actually tastes better the next day when the flavors deepen.
  • You'll feel like you've mastered something genuinely difficult, because you have.
02 -
  • Phyllo dries out in minutes once exposed to air, so keep your stack covered with a damp towel the entire time you're working—I learned this the hard way when I stopped to answer a phone call and came back to something resembling crackers.
  • The filling must be seasoned generously because phyllo is bland and absorbs flavoring as it bakes, but taste it raw to make sure you're not overshooting.
  • Don't skip the resting period; those 10 minutes let the filling set and the layers stabilize so your slices don't crumble into sad piles.
03 -
  • Buy phyllo from a shop that sells a lot of it—the turnover matters, and fresh phyllo makes an absolute difference in texture and flavor.
  • The yogurt-water wash is the secret that separates good burek from restaurant-quality burek; it browns deeper and creates a crust that actually shatters.
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