Fasting Apple Burek with Cinnamon

Preparation

1. Preparing the Apple Filling

Peel the apples, remove the cores and grate on the coarse side of a box grater. Place the grated apple in a colander and press lightly with your hands — not too firmly, just enough to remove excess liquid. Leave to drain for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the grated apple, ground walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla sugar and grated lemon zest. Stir until evenly mixed. Taste the filling — if the apples are very tart, add another tablespoon of sugar. The filling should not be as sweet as jam, just pleasantly balanced.

Do not cook the filling — the apples will bake in the oven and remain juicy.

2. Preparing the Brushing Oil

Pour 80 ml of sunflower oil into a shallow bowl. You can dilute it slightly with water (50 ml oil + 30 ml warm water, whisked together) if you prefer a lighter, less oily brush. Prepare a pastry brush or use your fingers.

3. Assembling the Burek

Preheat the oven to 190°C (top and bottom heat, no fan — the fan dries out the sheets too quickly). Brush the baking tray with a thin layer of oil.

Classic layered method:

Unroll the sheets and keep them covered with a damp cloth while not in use.

• Sheet 1: lay in the tray, allowing edges to hang over the sides. Brush with oil.
• Sheet 2: place at a 45° diagonal (rotated) — this ensures the edges overlap evenly. Brush with oil.
• One third of the filling: spread evenly. Sprinkle with half the breadcrumbs (1 tablespoon).
• Sheets 3 and 4, each brushed with oil.
• Second third of filling, remaining breadcrumbs.
• Sheets 5 and 6, brushed with oil.
• Last third of filling.
• Sheets 7 and 8 to close — brush the very top well with oil.
• Fold or trim the overhanging edges and tuck them in along the sides.

4. Scoring and Baking

Before placing in the oven, score the portions with a knife — cut through only the top 2–3 sheets, not all the way to the base. This makes the finished burek easier to cut and lets steam escape during baking.

Bake at 190°C for 35–40 minutes until the top is a deep golden-brown and crispy. Halfway through (around 20 minutes) you can brush the top once more with the remaining oil for an extra-crispy finish.

5. Resting and Serving

As soon as the burek comes out of the oven, lightly mist it with cold water from all sides (or drizzle a teaspoon of water over it) — this relaxes the sheets and makes them crispy-light rather than glass-hard. Cover with a clean cloth for 5–10 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Dust with icing sugar if desired.

Tips

Working with phyllo: phyllo is delicate and tears easily, but do not panic:

• Leave thawed sheets closed at room temperature for 30–40 minutes (never in the microwave).
• Always keep unused sheets covered with a damp cloth or cling wrap.
• If a sheet tears — use it anyway, patch with overlapping layers, no one will see in the finished burek.
• Never pull the sheets — only lift and carry them gently.

Apples that don’t release too much liquid: the trick is a brief drain in the colander + breadcrumbs. Never add sugar to the apples hours in advance — sugar draws out the moisture, making the filling watery. Make the filling just before assembling.

Filling variations:

• Add 50 g of raisins for a classic Austrian combination
• Replace walnuts with almonds for a more delicate flavour
• Add a pinch of cardamom alongside cinnamon for a more exotic profile
• A tablespoon of rum can replace the vanilla sugar — it evaporates during baking so this remains fully fasting-compliant

Storage: fasting apple burek keeps for up to 2 days at room temperature (covered with a cloth, not cling wrap — wrap makes it rubbery). In the refrigerator for up to 4 days — reheat in the oven at 180°C for 8–10 minutes, never in the microwave.