BULGARIAN BREAKFAST FLATBREAD MEKITSA
These traditional Bulgarian breakfast flatbreads (Mekitsi) resemble a doughnut in taste. Often referred to as Street Mekitsi, they are extremely popular street food in Bulgaria. Some skill is required when making and frying mekitsi because the dough is very sticky and it’s difficult to shape, but it’s definitely worth trying this recipe as the flatbreads taste so good sprinkled with glazing sugar, honey, jam or feta cheese. A good mekitsa must be wonderfully crisp on the outside and soft in the middle.
HISTORY OF THE BULGARIAN MEKITSA.
The Bulgarian name for mekitsa comes from the word mek which means soft.
Local historians claim that mekitsi were made in the territory of Bulgaria ever since the 5th century and they originated there. Of course, different cooking techniques were used then, as oil was not invented yet.
Similar flatbreads existed in Byzantine and Ottoman cuisines. The Romans often used topping on them. There is an interesting theory that these flatbreads were the ancestors of today’s pizza and focaccia.
Flatbreads similar to mekitsi are a common food in Serbia, North Macedonia, Romania, Greece and Turkey. With the migration of Balkan people, these flatbreads were introduced to most of Central Europe and as far as the US. Across Europe, these flatbreads are known also as langos.
I have beautiful memories of my granny making mekitsi for breakfast in her kitchen! Even today, the tradition of serving mekitsi for breakfast is alive in Bulgaria. You can find small shops selling mekitsi (mekitsarnitsi) in almost every Bulgarian town and city. They are very popular!
LOCAL VARIATIONS OF BULGARIAN BREAKFAST BREAD.
The variety of deep-fried breakfast flatbread and doughnut recipes around the Balkans is pretty large. In Bulgaria alone, we have quite a few regional variations of recipes for mekitsa, some of which come from the Ottoman and Turkish cuisines.
Bulgarian traditional breakfast flatbreads come in different shapes, most often they are round or square. Some varieties have sweet or savoury fillings, while others are similar to doughnuts and have no filling or may have a hole in the middle. All these traditional Balkan breakfast flatbreads are fried. For example, Buhta is a local savoury breakfast bread, similar to mekitsa. The name buhta means risen because the bread rises a lot when fried. It comes sometimes with a feta filling inside, or with no filling at all, and is usually cut into rectangular or square shapes.
Another type of Bulgarian breakfast bread is Ponichka. It resembles the Turkish lokma and comes in two variations: with sweet filling inside or with a hole, like a doughnut. Similar bread popular in Serbia and Croatia is Ustici, and in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Peksmeti.
HOW TO MAKE BULGARIAN MEKITSA FLATBREAD?
📋 INGREDIENTS IN THE BULGARIAN MEKITSA
You will need only 5 basic ingredients to make these delicious vegetarian-friendly flatbreads:
Plain Flour: Any good quality plain flour will do in this recipe.
Dry Yeast: Typically, in bread recipes, you need to activate the yeast first. However, in this recipe, this is not required. Just mix the yeast with the rest of the ingredients. To be sure that the bread will rise check the expiry date on the Dry Yeast packaging before use.
Salt & Sugar: They are the only flavouring ingredients required in this recipe.
Water: Always use lukewarm water when making these flatbreads because lukewarm water will help to activate the yeast.
📖 STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1: Make the flatbread (mekitsa) dough
In a large mixing bowl, stir all ingredients to make a smooth dough. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave it in the fridge overnight. The dough will increase 2-3 times in size by the next morning and will be light and sticky, with a lot of bubbles on the surface, as shown in the image below.
Step 2: Cook the breakfast flatbreads
Pour cooking oil into a small bowl. When your dough is ready, dip your hands in oil and take a small piece of dough with your hand. Pull the small piece of dough with oiled fingers and stretch it until it is very thin, almost see-through.
Heat plenty of oil in your pan. Place the shaped dough in the hot oil and fry on both sides to golden colour. Your dough must be submerged in the hot oil to cook evenly. If your pan is large enough, you can fry more than one flatbread at a time. Use plenty of oil.
🍲 HOW TO SERVE BULGARIAN SOFT FLATBREADS
Soft breakfast flatbreads taste best straight out of the pan, garnished with glazing sugar, jam or feta. Bulgarian mekitsa is a delightful treat and pure indulgence! I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do.
Bon Appétit! 👨🍳👨🍳👨🍳
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Bulgarian Breakfast Flatbread Mekitsa
Ingredients
- 4.5 cups plain flour
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon dry yeast
- 2.5 cups lukewarm water
- 200 ml cooking oil
Instructions
- Mix the dry products in a large bowl. Pour the lukewarm water and whisk until you have a wet, thin and sticky dough. Cover the bowl with oiled plastic wrap and leave the dough to rise in the fridge overnight. The dough will increase in volume approximately three times by the morning. It will be covered with bubbles but will remain thin and sticky in texture.
- Heat cooking oil in a large pan to a high temperature. Pour cooking oil into a small bowl. Dip your fingers in the oil and take a small ball of dough. Pull the sticky dough with your fingers to make a see-through round piece. Place the shaped dough in the hot oil and deep fry it to a golden colour on both sides. You will make roughly 10-12 flatbreads with the dough.
- Serve these breakfast flatbreads while still warm. Garnished them with honey, jam or feta.
