Baursak
Yeasted dough torn by hand into small, walnut-sized pieces and dropped straight into hot oil until puffed and golden. Rooted in the region's nomadic pastoralist past, quick to fry and keeping well without refrigeration, baursak is a staple of Kazakh hospitality, served to guests, at weddings, and for Eid al-Fitr, with close cousins across Kyrgyzstan and other Central Asian nations.
Vegetarian
⚠ Contains: Gluten, Egg, Dairy. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 500g flour
- 7g (1 packet) active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm milk
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Steps
- Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm milk, and let sit 10 minutes until foamy.
- Whisk in the egg and melted butter.
- Add the flour and salt, and knead into a smooth, elastic dough, about 8 minutes.
- Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled.
- Punch down, then roll into ropes and tear into small, walnut-sized pieces.
- Heat the oil to 175C/350F. Fry the pieces in batches until puffed and golden brown on all sides, 2-3 minutes.
- Drain on paper towels and serve warm, optionally with honey or jam.