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Pastrmajlija
Pastrmajlija (Пастрмајлија): North Macedonian oval flatbread topped with diced salted pork and egg
Štip in eastern North Macedonia holds a whole festival for pastrmajlija, a long boat-shaped flatbread baked in a wood oven and loaded with little cubes of salted pork, finished with a cracked egg and sometimes a hot pepper. Traditionally the meat is pastrma, dried salted pork or mutton; this home version salts diced pork shoulder in the fridge for a few hours and then bakes it on the dough until fully cooked, so it is safe and juicy. Eat it hot from the oven, torn by hand, with pickled peppers and a glass of cold yogurt drink. A common mistake is rolling the dough too thin; it needs a soft, chewy base to hold the meat juices. Chef's tip: bake on a pizza stone or upturned heavy tray, as hot as your oven goes.
- Total time
- 150 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the pork
- 14 oz pork shouldercut into 1 cm dice
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
For the dough
- 14 oz strong white flour
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
To finish
- 4 eggs
- 1 oz unsalted buttermelted
- 4 pickled hot peppers (optional)
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Toss the 14 oz pork shoulder with the 1 tsp salt, ¾ tsp black pepper and 1 tsp sweet paprika, cover and refrigerate for 2–3 hours.
5 minStep 2: Mix the 14 oz strong white flour, ⅛ oz fast-action dried yeast, ½ tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 cup lukewarm water and 2 tbsp sunflower oil and knead for 8 minutes into a smooth, soft dough. Cover and leave to rise for 1 hour, until doubled.
70 minStep 3: Put a pizza stone or heavy tray in the oven and heat it to 475°F (450°F fan) for at least 20 minutes.
20 minStep 4: Divide the dough into 4 and stretch each into a 30 × 12 cm oval on floured baking paper, pinching the edges up slightly to make a rim.
10 minStep 5: Scatter the pork over the dough in a single layer, pressing it in lightly.
5 minStep 6: Slide the breads, on their paper, onto the hot stone and bake for 12 minutes, until the rim is puffed and the pork is browned.
12 minStep 7: Crack one of the 4 eggs into the middle of each, or beat it and pour it over, and bake for 6–8 minutes more, until the white is fully set and a cube of pork reads 160°F.
8 minStep 8: Brush the rims with the melted 1 oz unsalted butter and serve straight away with 4 pickled hot peppers.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 690 kcal
- Protein
- 37 g
- Carbs
- 76 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pastrmajlija take?
- About 150 minutes in total: 120 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of sweet paprika?
- Smoked paprika, half the amount.
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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