Šareni Burek

Before you start

• Let the dough rest for at least one hour.

  This resting phase relaxes the gluten; without it, the dough will snap back like a rubber band and refuse to stretch paper-thin.

Ingredients

• unbleached all-purpose flour3 1/2 cup
• fine sea salt1 tsp
• warm water1 1/4 cup
• neutral oil1/4 cup
• ground beef1 lb
• yellow onion1 large
• Yukon Gold potatoes2 med
• fine sea salt1 1/2 tsp
• black pepper1 tsp
• Vegeta seasoning1 tsp
• neutral oil1 tbsp
• boiling water1/2 cup
• unsalted butter2 tbsp
• fine sea salt1/4 tsp

Method

1. 01

   Vigorously knead the dough until it feels as soft as an earlobe.

   In a large bowl, whisk the flour and 1 teaspoon of salt, create a well, and pour in the warm water and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Bring it together into a shaggy mass, turn it out onto the counter, and knead for 8 to 10 minutes to build the resilient gluten structure essential for stretching.

2. 02

   Divide, oil, and rest the dough to relax the gluten.

   Cut the dough into three equal pieces and flatten each into a small disc. Place them on a generously oiled baking sheet, pour a little more oil over the top to coat them completely, cover with plastic wrap, and let them rest at room temperature for at least one hour.

3. 03

   Prepare the meat and potato filling.

   In a bowl, combine the finely diced potatoes, ground beef, minced onion, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, black pepper, Vegeta, and 1 tablespoon of oil. Mix gently with your hands until just combined, allowing the flavors to meld.

4. 04

   Hand-stretch the dough on a floured tablecloth until practically transparent.

   Preheat the oven to 425°F and grease a large round baking pan or cast-iron skillet. Place a rested dough disc on a lightly floured clean cotton tablecloth, flatten it to the size of a dinner plate with a rolling pin, and brush with oil. Put the pin away, slide your hands underneath, palms down, and use your knuckles to gently tease the dough outward until it hangs over the table's edges, then tear off the thick, ropey overhang.

5. 05

   Stuff, roll, and coil the pastry into the baking pan.

   Drizzle the stretched dough lightly with oil or melted butter, scatter a third of the filling sparsely around the outer edges, and lift the tablecloth to naturally roll the dough over the filling into a long tube. Coil the tube into a spiral in the center of the pan, repeating with the remaining dough discs to fill the pan, then brush the top with melted butter.

6. 06

   Bake the pie until deeply golden and blistered.

   Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes, then lower the heat to 400°F and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until the crust is highly blistered and deeply browned.

7. 07

   Baste the pie with hot zaljev to fuse the crisp crust with a succulent interior.

   Five minutes before the burek is done, boil 1/2 cup of water in a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of butter and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Pull the pan from the oven, spoon this hot liquid all over the top of the crispy pastry so it sizzles wildly, and return to the oven for the final 5 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Notes

• Store-bought phyllo diaspora hack.

  For a weeknight shortcut, skip making the dough and instead hydrate store-bought phyllo sheets with a mixture of 1 cup highly carbonated mineral water and 1/4 cup neutral oil. Brush two sheets generously with this mixture, scatter the filling sparsely, roll, coil, and bake as directed, including the crucial final zaljev step.

• Respect the potato dice.

  Do not grate the potatoes, as they will turn to mush, release excess water, and essentially boil the beef. Dicing them finely into cubes no larger than a green pea ensures they hold their shape and provide the requisite textural pop.