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Burek sa sirom is a phyllo pastry that is round or coil-shaped and filled with a mixture of cheese and eggs. The dough is made with flour, salt, and water (and perhaps a bit of oil) and stretched into translucent sheets. The sheets of phyllo dough are stacked in a large tray, and each sheet is sprinkled with oil or oil and mineral water and spread with the cheese and egg filling.
Still, you might have heard that burek can only be called burek if it's filled with meat. That is, if you live in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but not everyone does, nor is burek really Bosnian – in fact, it has Turkish origins. In Bosnia, burek (with meat) and other types of similar pies such as sirnica (cheese) and krumpiruša (potatoes) are usually rolled into a coil, while Croatians and Serbs have a more relaxed approach – burek can be round and cut into quarters, or rolled into a coil – both shapes are good, and both can be called burek sa sirom (when filled with cheese, of course).
MOST ICONIC Burek sa sirom
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Međimurska gibanica is a traditional, highly caloric layered pastry originating from the Croatian region of Međimurje. It is usually served as a dessert after a big meal, but due to its nutritional value, it can also be consumed on its own. The pastry consists of several layers of phyllo dough filled with a combination of fresh cow's milk cheese, grated apples, ground walnuts, and ground poppy seeds, with the addition of raisins, cinnamon, rum, and sugar, according to personal preferences.
The fillings are divided by alternating layers of thin dough. Međimurska gibanica is quite similar to the EU-protected Prekmurska gibanica, with some slight variations concerning the fillings and type of dough. The pastry is ready to be consumed after it has been baked in an oven and develops a golden-brown color of the exterior, and it is then typically cut into squares and served either warm or cold.
MOST ICONIC Međimurska gibanica
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Bučnica is a comforting Croatian rolled pastry or strudel made with layers of thin dough that is filled with a combination of grated pumpkin, salt, fresh cheese, butter, sour cream, and eggs. The savory rolled pastry is baked in an oven until it develops a golden-brown color on the exterior, and it is recommended to serve it warm with a dollop of sour cream.
Bučnica should always be well-baked and crispy, otherwise the filling will release the water and the pastry will lose its crispiness. It's especially popular in the summer as there is an abundance of young pumpkins which are ideal for the filling.
MOST ICONIC Bučnica
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Gračanska tenka gibanica is the city of Zagreb's version of gibanica—a traditional dish that typically combines phyllo pastry, cheese, and eggs. The dish is associated with a part of the city called Gračani, hence the name. It consists of thin dough that is filled with fresh cow's cheese, eggs, wheat grits, heavy cream, and salt.
The dough is made with flour, eggs, salt, and oil. When assembled, the whole thing is traditionally brushed with eggwash and butter before baking. What makes this pastry special is the fact that it is open-faced, and only a small layer of dough can be seen on its edges.
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