💧 Water or light stock (to moisten): 120 ml (½ cup / 4 fl oz)
Phyllo & assembly
📜 Phyllo sheets, thawed: 450–500 g (10–12 large sheets / 16–18 oz)
🫗 Neutral oil or melted butter, for brushing: 120 ml (½ cup / 4 fl oz)
💧 Sparkling water (for steam/lift): 60 ml (¼ cup / 2 fl oz)
🌰 Sesame seeds (optional): 1 tbsp (9 g / 0.32 oz)
Preparation
1️⃣ Cook filling: Warm oil; sauté onion with a pinch of salt 6–8 min until soft. Add garlic 30 sec. Crumble in beef; cook 6–8 min until just browned. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Stir in water/stock for a juicy mixture; cool completely.
2️⃣ Prep oven & pan: Heat to 200°C / 400°F. Brush a 28–30 cm round pan with oil/butter.
3️⃣ Roll ropes: Lay 1–2 phyllo sheets, brush lightly. Scatter a thin line of filling along a long edge; roll into a tight rope. Repeat to make 4–6 ropes.
4️⃣ Coil: Place the first rope in the center of the pan and coil it. Add more ropes end-to-end to fill the pan. Brush top, drizzle sparkling water, and sprinkle sesame if using.
5️⃣ Bake: Bake 35–45 min until deep golden and crisp. Rest 10 min before slicing into wedges.
Total Time
🕒 Prep: 25 min
🔥 Cook: 40 min
⏳ Total: 1 h 05 min
Nutritional Value
🔋 Energy: ~430 kcal
💪 Protein: ~17 g
🧈 Fat: ~28 g
🍞 Carbohydrates: ~28 g
🧂 Sodium: ~680 mg
Advice
Cool the filling fully—warm filling steams the pastry and makes layers soggy; cooled, it stays flaky and crisp.
Why it works
Moist (but not wet) beef keeps the interior succulent while sparkling water steams the layers for lift; brushing each sheet ensures shatter-crisp, distinct flakes.
Twist
Do a Half-&-Half tray: make two fillings—meat on one side, cheese (sirnica) on the other; or swap beef for a beef-lamb blend and add a pinch of ground cumin for a Sarajevo street vibe.
Status
Golden coils, juicy core—this Burek is pure Balkan bakery bliss. #grannyzen #balkanpie
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