This has got to be the best tasting burek I ever had! Homemade gjize makes such a big difference! Tastes just like my grandfathers burek! I never knew how to make homemade gjize, I knew how to make labne it’s pretty close except for one step which I will explain in the recipe. A friend of mine who makes homemade lakror with gjize taught me how to make it, so glad she did…thank you Voltisa!
The texture for gjize is like ricotta, but the taste is sour as its made from yogurt! You can add salt to it if you like at the end of cooking or leave as is and flavour later.
For gjize (pronounced ‘geez’):
- 3-4 cups 2% or 3.25% yogurt
Bring yogurt to a boil on low heat, the liquid will separate and the yogurt will start to look like cheese curdles. When the yogurt starts to thicken add to cheese cloth and allow to strain for 5-6 hours or until yogurt thickens and turns into ricotta textured cheese. Remove from cheese cloth, transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to use.
I use a strainer with a coffee filter instead of a cheese cloth when I don’t have a cheese cloth on hand, works just as well. Place a strainer or colander with small holes on top of a large bowl, and place a coffee filter in the strainer, add the yogurt works just like a cheesecloth.
If you want to make labne, skip the boiling part, add yogurt to cheese cloth and let strain for 6 hours or till yogurt has thickened to a cream cheese texture.
For burek:
- 1 pkg thawed filo dough
- 16 oz spinach
- 1 cup crumbed feta cheese
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups gjize
- 1/2 cup melted butter
Combine spinach, feta, eggs, and gjize season with salt. Grease bottom of pan, and lightly brush each layer with the melted butter, when half way through the filo spread the spinach cheese mixture and repeat with layers of filo and butter, make sure to butter the top and last layer. Cut into squares or diamonds.
Bake at 350 till golden brown. Enjoy:)
Homemade cheese seems simple to make, thanks for sharing!