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Macedonian · Balkan

Pastrmajlija

Non-vegetarian

Пастрмајлија · Pastrmajlija

Boat-shaped yeasted flatbreads topped with small cubes of salted pork, baked very hot and often finished with an egg. The pride of the town of Štip.

Pastrmajlija is a Macedonian savoury bake from North Macedonia, ready in about 1 hour 40 minutes and made with all-purpose flour and pork shoulder. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
20 min
Cook
20 min
Rest
1 h
Total
1 h 40 min
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
801

Ingredients

4 servings

Dough

Topping

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the flour, yeast, sugar (opens in a new tab), salt, water and oil and knead into a soft dough. Cover and let rise for 1 hour. Toss the pork with the topping salt, paprika (opens in a new tab) and pepper (opens in a new tab) and leave in the fridge meanwhile.

    • 15 min

    Food safety: Keep the raw pork refrigerated while the dough rises.

    Hands kneading dough on a floured surface
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) as hot as it goes (250 °C or more) with a tray inside. Divide the dough into 4 and stretch each into an oval about 30 cm long, pinching the ends to make a boat shape with raised edges.

    • 10 min
    • 250°C

  3. Step 3

    Scatter the pork over the dough and bake for 12–15 minutes. If using eggs (opens in a new tab), crack one onto each pie for the last 4–5 minutes.

    Food safety: Make sure the pork cubes are cooked through.

    Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Brush the crust and meat with melted butter (opens in a new tab), sprinkle with chilli and cut into strips to serve.

    • 2 min

About this dish

Origin
Štip, North Macedonia · Commonly attributedOriginally made with cured mutton (pastrma); today usually with salted pork.More food from North Macedonia
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Pizza & savoury pies · Breads & flatbreads
Cooking method
Oven-baked
Taste
savoury, salty, mild
Diet
No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Beef-free · High-protein
Without the optional extras: Egg-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration
Cook more with
All-purpose flour · Pork shoulder · Dried yeast · Sugar · Paprika · Butter
Techniques
Baking · Kneading · Fermentation

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom butter
  • Contains, can be adapted: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour
  • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

801 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 313 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 16%
  • Carbohydrate 45%
  • Fat 39%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy801 kcal256 kcal
Protein31.8 g10.2 g
Carbohydrate88.1 g28.1 g
Net carbohydrate84.3 g26.9 g
Sugars1.4 g0.5 g
Added sugars1 g0.3 g
Fibre3.8 g1.2 g
Fat34.4 g11 g
Saturated fat11.8 g3.8 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol96 mg31 mg
Sodium1292 mg412 mg
Salt equivalent3.2 g1 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
496 mg
Calcium
46 mg
Iron
6.6 mg
Magnesium
49 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
68 µg
Vitamin C
1 mg
Vitamin D
1.9 µg
Vitamin B12
0.8 µg
Folate (DFE)
375 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: egg, red chilli flakes.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Preheat the tray in the oven so the base crisps like a pizza.

Common mistakes

  • Cutting the pork in big pieces — 1 cm cubes cook through in the short, hot bake.

Serve with

  • Traditionally eaten with pickled vegetables (turšija) and a glass of rakija or beer.

Storage

  • Best eaten hot from the oven.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

The spice and seasoning backbone

Spices, masalas & pastes

Used in step 4

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 25 min

    Weigh everything. Knead until smooth and elastic: a small piece stretches thin enough to see light through (the windowpane test).

  2. First rise (bulk) · about 1 h

    About doubled, domed, jiggly, with bubbles on the sides. A floured finger poked in leaves a dent that fills slowly.

  3. Bake · about 15 min at 250 °C

    Deep golden; bread sounds hollow when tapped underneath, or reads 93–96 °C inside (enriched breads 88–90 °C).

  4. Start to finish: about 1 h 40 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

The dough

The dough in baker's percentages. Flour = 100%.
IngredientRoleWeightBaker’s %
All-purpose flourFlour450 g100%
WaterWater270 g60%
Sunflower oilFat27 g6%
Dried yeastYeast7 g1.6%
SaltSalt6 g1.3%
SugarSugar4 g0.9%
Total flour
450 g
Hydration
60%
With milk, eggs…
60%
Wholegrain
0%

Hydration = water ÷ flour × 100. Milk is about 87% water and eggs about 75%, so they’re shown separately as “with milk, eggs…”.

  • Medium dough (55–65%) — soft and easy to knead; sandwich loaves and rolls.
  • Salt 1.3% — on the low side (1.8–2.2% is typical for bread).

If something goes wrong

  • Spreads flat / no oven spring

    Likely causes

    • Over-proofed
    • Weak shaping (no surface tension)
    • Oven not hot enough
    • Too much water for the flour

    What to do

    • Shorten the proof; bake when the poke springs back slowly
    • Shape tightly so the skin is taut
    • Preheat fully (30+ minutes; with a stone or Dutch oven, 45)
    • Lower hydration or use bread flour
  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
  • Crust too hard or thick

    Likely causes

    • Baked too long at too low a temperature
    • No steam at the start

    What to do

    • Bake hotter for a shorter time
    • Add steam for the first 15 minutes (tray of boiling water, or a covered Dutch oven)
    • Cool under a tea towel for a softer crust

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