Burek is the Balkan filo spiral, baked in a wide circular tray. Belgrade and Serbia favor cheese (sa sirom), meat (sa mesom) and potato (sa krompirom) fillings.

Burek arrived in Belgrade with Ottoman rule in the 15th century and has held its place as the morning bakery counter staple ever since. The Bosnian convention is meat-only and uses a hand-stretched filo; Serbian convention extends to cheese, potato, spinach and pumpkin (sa tikvama) fillings and accepts shop-bought filo. Pekara Trpkovic on Nemanjina has anchored the Belgrade burek queue for over 100 years and remains a 24-hour reference counter for the city's defining breakfast plate. The standard accompaniment is a glass of yoghurt or kefir, and the morning ritual is to eat it standing at the counter; takeaway servings are wrapped in butcher paper.

Where to eat Burek in Belgrade

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Make it at home

Serves 61 hr 10 minIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 500g phyllo pastry sheets
  • 400g minced beef (or sirene cheese for burek sa sirom)
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons sunflower oil for the meat
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 100g butter, melted
  • 100ml sunflower oil for the filo
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • Sesame seeds for the top

Method

  1. Cook the onion in oil until soft. Add the mince and cook until coloured. Season with salt and pepper. Cool completely.
  2. Heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Brush a wide circular tray with butter.
  3. Mix melted butter and sunflower oil in a small bowl for brushing.
  4. Lay one phyllo sheet flat. Brush with butter-oil mix. Spoon a long line of mince filling along one edge.
  5. Roll the phyllo around the filling into a long cylinder.
  6. Coil the cylinder into the tray, starting at the centre. Repeat with remaining sheets, coiling outward in a spiral.
  7. Brush the top with beaten egg, scatter with sesame. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until deep golden.
  8. Rest 10 minutes before cutting into wedges. Serve hot with thick yoghurt.

Editor tip. Stretch the phyllo gently by hand before filling; the goal is a textured outer crust with flaky shatter. Pre-cooked filling prevents soggy pastry.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Egg.