The women of Or Ve Shalom Synagogue in Atlanta have been baking burekas using the same recipe for more than 60 years.
Susanna Capelouto / WABE
Every Tuesday a group of women gets together at Or Ve Shalom Synagogue in Atlanta to bake hundreds of savory hand-held pies.
They are called burekas and come in five varieties. There’s potato, rice, spinach, eggplant and meat. On Sunday, Dec. 10, the Synagogue will hold its annual bazaar and the burekas are a big draw.
These women of Or Ve Shalom have been baking burekas using the same recipe for more than 60 years.
They’re sold by the dozen to help the congregation’s finances. There’s no commercial competition, because this delicacy cannot be mass produced in a bakery. Making burekas just requires too much skill and a lot of experienced cooks.
Bureka comes from the Turkish word Burek, which means pie. That’s because Sephardic Jews trace their heritage to the countries around the Mediterranean including Turkey and medieval Spain. It was the Spanish Inquisition of 1492 that forced Sephardic Jews to leave Spain and settle in other countries.
The weekly ritual of baking burekas at the Or Ve Shalom Synagogue is a testament to the preservation of Sephardic Jewish culture in the American South.
Should be made with at least two people. The more the merrier.
Basic dough:
1 cup Mazola Corn oil
2 ½ cups water
1 tsp salt
8 cups plain White Lilly flour
Bring water, oil and salt to a boil. Remove from heat. Boil again. Remove from heat, and quickly stir in flour until the consistency is that of soft pie dough. Knead until smooth, adding more flour if needed. Shape into walnut-sized balls. About 60-70. Place in bowl, cover with wax paper to prevent dryness.
Roll each ball into a flat oval shape, 3 by 4 inches. Fill each oval with 1 rounded teaspoon of filling. Fold into turnover shape and cut outer edges with rim of a glass. (for potato filling) Brush lightly with beaten egg.Sprinkle with grated cheese (only burekas that don’t have meat fillings.)
Place on well greased (vegetable oil) pan and bake 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until brown.
Topping:
½ cup grated cheese
1 beaten egg
Potato Filling (easiest for beginners)
3lb baking potatoes cooked and mashed.
1 tsp salt
1 c. grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
½ lb cottage cheese, mashed
4 eggs or more if needed.
Combine potatoes, salt, cheese and beaten eggs, mixing well until fluffy. Taste and adjust salt and cheese if needed.
Spinach filling:
2 lb fresh spinach or 3 (10 oz) pkg frozen chopped spinach drained.
1 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
2 beaten eggs (for use with frozen spinach only)
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp. flour or instant potato flakes.
Mix all ingredients.
Meat filling:
2 lb lean ground beef
2 onions
3 Tbsp. oil
½ can tomatoes strained through colander with juice or tomato sauce
½ cup chopped curly parsley
¼ cup rice, rinsed
1 tsp salt
Chop onions and saute in oil until lightly browned. Add ground beef and saute well stirring constantly. Make a well in center and add tomatoes salt and rice; Cover and simmer 25 minutes or until rice is well done. (Rice can also be cooked separately and added, but won’t taste as good).
Add parsley. Allow to cool.
Note: This story was first broadcast on Gravy, a podcast by the Southern Foodways Alliance. You can hear the full episode here.
